Bound
by MusicChiller27
Summary: Tayce has stuck by Jon through everything, wanting him to fulfill his dream of wrestling. She leaves home at age 16 with him and never looks back. 10 years have passed and nothing has changed. Even as she sleeps with their best friend Sami, she still can't get past her feelings for Jon. What will be her breaking point? Will she pine for Jon forever or will she eventually walk away?
1. Chapter 1

**Bound**

Chapter 1

Just another night.

Staring down at the piece of paper in her hands, Tayce Stevens heaved a sigh and tossed it to the side on the bed, scrubbing a hand down her face. They were shacked up in another rundown motel, but it was clean enough, she supposed. Her long golden auburn hair was piled up on top of her head in a messy bun to keep it out of her face. Summer was approaching and the A/C decided to stop working in her room, so she had the window cracked to get some kind of air. She wore black boy cut short panties and a skimpy black matching camisole that showed off her mid-drift. Nobody would see her tonight, so Tayce wasn't worried about flashing her goods. Her deep citrine eyes stared out the window at the rain tapping on the window, relaxing her body somewhat, but not her mind.

It refused to stop racing.

Pulling out a pack of smokes, Tayce slid one out of the package and lit it up with her lighter, inhaling the sweet nicotine. Smoking wasn't the best habit in the world, but it kept her nerves calm and her mind from racing with all the possibilities of what her best friend was doing. Tayce hated the fact she was in love with someone she'd known her entire life and didn't know how it happened. Maybe it was grade school. No – high school. No – she knew exactly when she fell in love with him and nothing could've prepared her for it.

He wanted to be a wrestler.

He wanted to travel the world and get the hell out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Tayce didn't blame him and wanted the same thing, remembering the night he told her while they took a late night drive down the country road. They were 15 and he'd stolen his mother's car after she passed out from popping too many pills. They pulled over in a nearby cornfield and he looked at her with those deep bluish grey eyes that always captivated her, the words still echoing in her mind. There were tryouts happening in Carolina and he was leaving that following morning to go for his dream. Tayce couldn't bear to see him go alone and offered to tag along, not wanting him to make the long journey alone. In all honesty, she didn't give him a choice. He'd been alone most of his life and Tayce refused to let him leave without her. They both took off that following morning and never looked back.

Ever since then, Tayce had been beside him through thick and thin, all the while her heart breaking whenever he took a whore to his bed. Or he drank too much and had to be carried out of a bar. Tayce closed her eyes, letting a single tear slide down her cheek and took another long drag of her cigarette, wondering how much more she could take. How much more she would be able to handle before she finally walked away from him.

Never.

She'd never have the guts to walk away from him and it killed her that a single man had so much power over her. Even as she screwed one of their closest friends, all Tayce thought about was him and she basically used her current fling for a release in her frustration. And he used her as well. That's what the sport of professional wrestling amounted too. Using people to get ahead and acquire whatever desired.

Tayce wiped the single tear away from her cheek, knowing she had nobody else to blame except herself and stubbed the cigarette out angrily in the ashtray, pushing her best friend in the far recesses of her mind. She was determined to get some sleep tonight even if it killed her, cutting the light off and slid into bed. Just as her eyes closed, a knock sounded at her motel door and Tayce groaned, wondering who it could be at this hour. Stumbling over, Tayce didn't bother putting any other clothes on and opened the door, staring back into the hungry green eyes of her current fling.

Sam Johnston – also known in the Indy world as Sami Callihan and everyone referred to him as Sami.

"What are you doing here?" Tayce asked tiredly, leaning her head against the doorframe with arms folded in front of her chest.

Sami smirked, slowly giving her an appreciative onceover and felt his cock twitch in his pants, closing the distance between them. "Couldn't sleep and it looks like you can't either, precious." He murmured, running his finger down her cheek to her jaw and neck, his hands clamping down on her hips. "Let me in."

"Why?" Tayce couldn't help messing with him a little, running her finger down his t-shirt covered chest. "What's in it for me?"

Sami groaned, loving how her voice dropped to a sultry tone and grabbed her hand, placing it right on his jean covered bulge. "This." He hissed, their mouths mere inches from each other and Tayce could already feel her body responding to him.

Grabbing the front of his t-shirt, Tayce yanked him against her as their mouths crashed together, feeling Sami instantly lift her, legs wrapping around his waist. He slammed her back against the door, his hands running up her smooth toned stomach since the top didn't cover her lower abdomen. Sami only stood at 5'10 and weighed 200 pounds, but he had an incredible body. If Tayce wasn't so hung up on another man, she would've definitely chosen Sami as more than just a fuck buddy. They acted like they were a couple in front of other people, but behind closed doors it was a strictly a physical relationship. Sami was in love with someone he couldn't have just like Tayce, so they used each other to get their frustrations out.

"Bed now." Tayce muttered against his mouth, feeling Sami pull her from the door and carried her over to the bed, guiding her down on it.

Sami found it refreshing to be with a woman who knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Tayce was beautiful from head to toe and had an amazing body with a heart and mind to match. Sami didn't understand why he couldn't fall in love with her because any man would be lucky to have her in their bed. And right now it was him. Yet he couldn't bring himself to get over Madeline and he didn't understand why. Then again, Tayce would never be able to love him because of her deep seeded feelings for their friend.

Jonathan Good, though he went by his wrestling name Jon Moxley.

Growing up together, Sami had known for years how Tayce really felt about Jon, but swore him to secrecy. At first, Sami was against it, but as more time flew by, he understood why Tayce didn't tell Jon how she felt. The man had countless sluts in his bed and was completely oblivious to the one woman consistent in both of their lives. Tayce Stevens. Sami didn't understand how the hell Jon could be so blind considering everything Tayce had done for him. Dropping everything in her life for Jon and yet somehow still receiving her high school diploma.

She went to every wrestling match he had in HWA –Heartland Wrestling Association- and every dark match the WWE gave him. Even when Jon told her he was going to Puerto Rico, Tayce refused to let him go alone and had watched Jon spiral out of control with drugs and alcohol. That followed up with the horrible withdrawal once the 6 months in Puerto Rico ended abruptly during Christmas break and Jon had been screwed out of $1500 from the company in Puerto Rico. Jon had come within days of being signed to the WWE permanently only for it to be ripped away at the last minute.

Tayce had been there to console him, to encourage him to continue with his dream, but Jon didn't want anything to do with it. He ended up quitting professional wrestling for a year because he was so burned out from all the traveling, all the working out and the obsession to be a wrestler. Through it all, Tayce had been there whenever he needed a shoulder to cry on and even tried pushing her away several times. She wouldn't budge though. Eventually, Jon got his head on straight and did a few shows with a few Independent organizations before finally making his way to CZW –Combat Zone Wrestling.

Jon had stuck with them ever since, though he still performed for other organizations as well. Any woman who stuck by a man through all of that had to love him or be insane. In this case, both wrapped up Tayce into one delicious package that Sami had the privilege of screwing whenever he wanted. She never turned him down, always wet and ready whenever he came knocking on her door. He would never forget the night he found her outside of the CZW arena crying. Jon had won another match and she hadn't accompanied him to ringside like normal due to all the weapons that were used.

"Tayce, are you alright?" He had asked her, remembering how beautiful she looked in a black tank dress with knee high leather boots. "What's wrong?"

Tayce couldn't speak at first and buried her face in Sami's chest, tears soaking his bare chest. "I don't want him to get hurt." She had whispered, the fear and turmoil in her voice nearly driving Sami to his knees.

Sami remembered wrapping his arms around her and pulled her close to him, letting her cry on him as long as she needed while stroking her soft hair. He didn't know what to say to her. They stood there for what seemed like hours and Tayce finally pulled back to look up into his eyes. Sami had reached down to wipe her tears away with the pad of his thumb and Tayce had caressed his face with the back of her hand. They did it at the same time, their eyes never pulling away from each other. And then it happened. Sami dipped his head and captured her mouth, his arms tightening around her when she didn't push him away.

Something exploded between them the moment their tongues touched, something they couldn't describe to this day. It was an overwhelming lust that overtook their bodies and they couldn't get enough of each other. Maybe it was loneliness or lack of sexual interaction since they were in love with other people. Whatever it was, Sami ended up lifting her and carting her off to his car in the parking lot away from the arena. He parked in the far back where darkness shrouded his car and Tayce immediately yanked his wrestling tights off while he ripped her black panties from her body.

Right there in the parking lot of the CZW arena, Sami had sex with Tayce for the first time, bending her over the hood of his car as he pounded her right after a match. Tayce enjoyed every second of it and they started meeting secretively to have sex after that night. It wasn't just in the parking lot though. If Sami caught her walking alone in the hallway without Jon, he would pull her into an empty dressing room and even the bathroom. There was one night Sami had stayed late after a show to help clean up and snuck Tayce back in the building after all security left. He knew where the security booth was and cut the videos before leading Tayce to the ring. In the middle of the CZW, they had sex for hours on end and it was possibly the best romp Sami ever had in his life.

"Oh Sami, I can't take much more…" Tayce moaned, cutting him out of his deep thoughts while he undressed her, his face buried between her soft thighs. "I need you…"

"Soon precious, I promise…" He muttered before diving right back into her delicious wet sex, his tongue driving in and out of her repeatedly.

Tayce gripped his soft spiked black hair and arched her back, grinding herself into his mouth. Sami didn't hold her down because her grinding told him he was hitting everything right. He was pleasuring her the way she wanted and she thoroughly enjoyed his tongue inside of her. Before long, Tayce cried out his name as her hot juices filled his mouth, her entire body shuddering from head to toe. Sami drank every last drop Tayce gave and sucked on her clit for added effect. Slowly pulling away, Sami's dark forest green eyes locked with molten gold as his tongue snaked out, licking her sweet essence from his lips.

"Get up here and fuck me already before I finish the job myself, Johnston." She ordered breathlessly, watching him slowly crawl up her body until their mouths met.

Tayce moaned, tasting herself on his tongue and felt his knee nudge her thighs apart. Her knees bent up until her feet planted on the bed and Sami settled between them, his mouth reluctantly leaving hers to run down her jaw line and neck. Tayce reached down between them and gripped his hard cock, pulling it until she felt the tip meet her engorged clit. They both groaned at the friction and Sami refused to deny Tayce anything, pushing past her wet folds. Tayce still couldn't get over how big Sami was and dug her nails into his arms, arching her body into him to make him go deeper.

"Oh fuck, Tayce…" Sami hissed between his teeth, not stopping until he was fully sheathed inside of her. "Fuck girl, such a tight cunt…" Hadn't he stretched her out even a little with all the times they had sex? Apparently not.

Tayce smirked, enjoying his dirty talk and didn't wait for Sami to fully adjust to her, rolling her hips. Sami growled and Tayce giggled seductively, raking her nails down his chest leaving red marks. He didn't waste another second and began moving inside of her, giving them both what they craved. Tayce held on for dear life, urging Sami to go faster and harder when he needed too. She never had any complaints about Sami in bed or the way he screwed her into the mattress or anywhere else they decided to have sex. Her heart would never be in it though, it was purely sex with them because her heart belonged to Jon.

Hours later, they lay in bed smoking a cigarette with Tayce curled up against his side. "You staying or going?" She asked, blowing smoke out of her mouth and nose.

"What do you want me to do?" Sami asked, looking down at her while taking a drag of his own cigarette.

Tayce chewed her bottom lip and knew she was being selfish, but right now she didn't want to be alone. "Stay."

Sami nodded, kissing the top of her head and ran his fingers through her hair, settling in for the night. "I'm not going anywhere, Tayce."

Sighing with relief, Tayce finished her cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray, deciding to call it a night. She turned with her back facing Sami and felt his arms wrap around her, spooning against her with his nose burying in her hair. As soon as Tayce's eyes closed, Jon was right there taunting and tormenting her with dreams that would never come true.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jon sat backstage taping up his wrists before his match, completely focused with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. The fans wanted the match and he was going to give it to them, never one to disappoint anyone who supported him. They knew how much he hated and loathed Jimmy Jacobs, –his real name was Chris Scobille- especially from the countless promos he did on the idiot. He was a stain on the Independent circuit's underwear. Everyone knew he couldn't hack it as a hardcore wrestler. Why he was in CZW and why DJ Hyde –his real name was David John Markland and he was the owner of the CZW- allowed it was beyond him.

Chris hadn't done anything impressive, at least nothing Jon would acknowledge face to face. He looked up at the clock, waiting for his assistant/valet to arrive. They'd been best friends for years and she basically took care of everything he needed. Jon was grateful for having her in his corner since he was 16 and knew he'd never be able to repay her for everything she did. She was a beautiful, strong woman with a heart of gold and a sharp mind, always coming up with answers to any problems he had. It was like they shared a brain in a way.

5 minutes later, Tayce came to a skidding halt just outside of Jon Moxley's dressing room and barged through the door, breathing heavily. "Sorry!" She gasped out, swallowing hard and could see he was nearly ready for his match against Chris.

Sami had woken her up after only 2 hours of sleep for couple more rounds of sex, so Tayce had naturally overslept. She smacked Sami upside the head, which made him retaliate by pinching her ass and they ended up having shower sex. That put her even MORE behind. By the time Sami finally left, Tayce had exactly 45 minutes to get dressed and haul ass to the arena. She cursed Sami the entire way and even sent him a text message, telling him he was in trouble the next time they saw each other. Sami was currently on a plane headed overseas for a CZW show while she had to go to the arena for Jon.

Tayce wore a black skirt that went 2 inches above the knee with 2 inch black open toed heels and a dark red halter top. Her golden auburn hair was braided and currently hung over her shoulder so it stayed out of her face. Thick huge silver hoops dangled from her ears and her makeup was the same as always, never changing. Black eyeliner, foundation and clear gloss. She never changed it since she barely had time to piss without Jon needing something from her. Not that she complained, she loved being by Jon's side and doing whatever he needed to make his career smoother.

"Traffic was a fucking bitch getting here and I had to drop your schedule off to the higher-ups so they know what shows you have planned over the next month." Tayce explained in a rush of words, not bothering mentioning the fact she had countless rounds of sex with Sami. "How are you feeling?"

His head snapped up and Jon sighed with relief that she made it just in time. "You didn't kill anyone shoving them off the road, did you?" He joked, a smirk curving his lips while he took a drag of his lit cigarette. When Tayce was in a rush, she had an incredible lead foot and could honestly be a NASCAR racer if she gave a damn about the particular sport.

"Almost." Tayce smirked and winked when he just shook his head at her.

"I'm feeling like we both need a fucking vacation. But I'm not going to just puss out and not show up either. The fans want to see the match and they get what they want." He stood, stretching his arms in the air a little. "Thanks by the way. I know I don't say it enough."

"You've got this, Mox. Don't let him get in your head." She knew Chris enjoyed talking smack and trying to get into Jon's head. "Just go out there and put on the performance of a lifetime. You're the champion, don't forget that."

"Damn straight, boss lady." That was Jon's personal nickname for Tayce that he came up with ever since she demanded to go with him on this professional wrestling journey.

Jon continued stretching himself out, hopping from foot to foot to try getting himself psyched up for the match. His adrenaline was already through the roof, but Jon didn't feel as though it was a big enough rush. This match would be brutal, so he needed all the adrenaline his body could muster up. Tayce brushed her lips against his cheek, noticing how tense Jon was and knew he was somewhat nervous about this upcoming bout with Chris. She couldn't help admiring the black tights Jon wore that hugged his perfectly shaped backside. He was such a beautiful specimen in general. Tayce had to push those thoughts out of her mind, needing to focus on Jon's match.

"Now get the fuck out there and show them who the boss is."

Nodding, Jon headed out of his locker room toward the black curtain and listened as they announced his name. Whether his fans loved or hated him, he didn't care. Jon would do ANYTHING for his fans. Chris was a pussy who spent most of his time sidelined with ridiculous injuries because he thought he was better than everyone else. Storming through the black curtain with Tayce by his side, Jon sneered at the crowd and fans he secretly loved, the clear heel in the match and stepped in the ring, standing right in the middle of it. He took his title off from around his waist, always wearing it with pride and held it up for everyone to see.

The scowl on his face reached his cold unforgiving blue eyes as they announced Chris next, making Jon turn toward the corner and winked over the rope down at Tayce. Jon had this in the bag and just wanted to ease her fears a little, a smirk forming as soon as Chris stepped in the ring. His face, eyes, body language, everything about Jon screamed he was ready to make Chris cry like a little coward punk bitch the words 'I Quit' just like the victim he was, by any means necessary. Just as he said in a previous promo, Jon was about to victimize Chris and make him wish he'd never gotten involved in professional wrestling.

The match was brutal just as Tayce predicted, one of the most intense she ever witnessed. She couldn't stop covering her mouth with her hand whenever Jon did a move, not believing some of the things they pulled off. Her heart nearly stopped and skipped several beats with the moves they performed together. Tayce was almost certain she'd have a heart attack before the match ended. When it was finally all said and done, Jon had put up a valiant effort and lost the match. Tayce didn't dare get into the ring until Chris exited, knowing Jon wouldn't be able to protect her if he decided to attack. Shaking her head, she crawled into the ring and pulled Jon under the rope to the outside, draping an arm over her shoulders as she held up the best she could.

"I've got you, Mox." She whispered, ignoring the fans jeering and hated the fact his face was nothing more than a crimson mask. "One step at a time, come on you've gotta get to the trainer." Tayce kept her voice low and soft so nobody else overheard.

Once they were behind the curtain, Jon let Tayce guide her to the trainer's room, knowing he would need stitches. Even after all these years of being friends, he knew Tayce worried about him. Tayce tried in vain to keep her emotions in check until she was alone later that night. Then she could have herself a good decent cry in the lonely confines of her motel room. There was no way she could let Jon see her tears because he had a hard time seeing a woman cry, especially her. Jon stumbled into the trainer's room a few minutes later and lay on the table while he was looked over. Tayce stayed with him the whole time, refusing to leave his side until he was stitched up. It amazed her that Jon didn't even flinch as the stitches went into his skin.

"Hey…" Jon waited until Tayce's eyes locked with his, smiling. "I'll get him next time. There's always a next time." He held his fist out, watching her nod followed by her fist bumping his. "So what's next on the agenda, boss lady?" He asked, trying to get his mind off of what was currently happening.

"Shut up and get stitched up." Tayce muttered, running her fingers through his hair gently.

It was something she did whenever Jon needed to stay calm. She knew he was angry that he lost to Chris, but he couldn't let that get him down. He had another match that weekend, the next day actually, and it was a tag team match with Akira Tozawa against the DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate champion BXB Hulk and Homicide. Their real names were Terumasa Ishihara and Nelson Rodriguez Erazo. After that, they were going overseas so Jon could defend his CZW championship. Jon was with 4 different promotions, making him one of the kings –if not THE king- of the Indies. Once Jon was stitched up, Tayce guided him out of the arena, already knowing he wouldn't take any drugs for the pain he was currently in.

"Don't drink too much. You have your tag match with Akira tomorrow night and Homicide is also on your radar."

Jon nodded and took off, heading back to the motel they always shacked up in. He grabbed his bag and trudged up the stairs to his room, which was already paid up for the month and opened the door, immediately tossing it to the side. He peeled off his shirt, kicked off his shoes and collapsed stomach first on the bed, groaning. A six pack of beer and a full carton of cigarettes was on the nightstand waiting for him. What would he do without Tayce? He already knew his limit was 3 beers the night before a match and then he'd be done. Anything else would be either thrown out or left in the room when he left with Tayce the following morning.

Jon ordered a pizza and even sent Tayce a text message inviting her over for beer and pizza. Even though there was nothing to celebrate since he lost, Jon didn't want to be alone tonight. His head throbbed a little, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Waiting for the pizza man to arrive with his food, Jon lit up and inhaled a few smokes, just letting the nicotine do its job by calming him down. He wasn't thrilled about losing to Chris, but knew if he didn't the little whiner would throw a fit at the Dragon Gate higher-ups.

Tayce received the text message from Jon just after she stepped out of the shower and smiled, refusing to disappoint him. Before the pizza man showed up, Tayce did first wearing white boy cut short panties and a camisole, though this one covered her stomach. She wasn't ashamed to show off her body, but already knew it'd be a waste of time with Jon. He didn't see her that way and never would. Sami worked for CZW exclusively, so since he already left to go overseas for the upcoming show, Tayce had nobody besides Jon to keep her company.

"Thanks for the invite, Mox."

Tayce didn't bother knocking, having a spare key in case she needed one to get into Jon's room fast. She caught a beer Jon tossed her with ease and cracked it open, already having a lit cigarette in her free hand. Cracking the beer open, Tayce took a swig from it followed by a long deep drag from her smoke. These crappy motels didn't care if people smoked in them or not, so Tayce and Jon had free reign to basically do whatever they wanted. A few minutes after Tayce arrived, a knock sounded at the door and she knew the pizza had arrived.

"I'll get it." Shoving Jon back down on the bed when he tried getting up, Tayce snatched the money from the nightstand and walked over, handing it to the pizza man. "Mmm pepperoni – definitely a good choice." Kicking the door shut and flipping the lock on it, Tayce walked over to set the pizza down on the bed. She crawled in beside Jon, pushing him to lay back when he tried going for the pizza, ignoring his growling. "Shush while I check your stitches a second, stubborn ass."

Jon knew he could growl at Tayce all he wanted, it didn't affect her at all. She would ignore him and do what she wanted anyway, not an ounce of fear in her small body. He growled again when she twisted his nipple, bluish grey eyes flashing at her. She could be vicious when she wanted to be too.

"OW! Tayce!" He groaned, always caught him off guard with that, especially when he was being a bear towards her. "Okay – Alright! No more growling! You know if I did that to you, you'd slap me so hard my head would spin around on my neck until I could see my own ass without a mirror."

"You got that right, so don't do it and I won't have to mess up your pretty face." She pinched his cheek and laughed when he scowled in response, finishing her examination.

When she was finally satisfied that the stitches looked correct, he handed the first piece of pizza to her and grabbed the second, engulfing the food. Tayce made herself more comfortable and leaned back against the headboard, already having her cry in her own room. It was one of the reasons she refused to room with Jon, though he'd offered several times to save money. Tayce couldn't do it, not ever since she came to the conclusion how she felt for Jon. It would just ask for trouble to stay in the same room with him, in the same proximity, all the time. Tayce was just thankful Jon walked away from the match unscathed for the most part. Some of his matches made Tayce think he'd never be able to get up again. This was Jonathan Good though and she never counted him out or betted against him. Even though Tayce had her own room, she could tell Jon was becoming groggy and didn't want to leave him alone since he had a concussion.

"I'm staying with you tonight." She stated, leaving no room for argument and handed him another slice. "I'm an idiot. You have a concussion and you shouldn't be alone right now. Sorry, I wasn't thinking earlier when we parted ways. I'll go get my things and bring them here since we have to leave early in the morning to make it to the second Dragon Gate match and then we have to catch a flight right after to go overseas so you can defend your CZW championship. So order a movie or something, I know you can't fall asleep in silence."

"You're always welcome in my room. You already know that."

He gingerly ran his fingers through his hair as he lit another smoke and had another slice of pizza. He watched as she left to get her things. Jon wasn't sure how he was friends with a girl he wasn't having sex with, but with Tayce it was easy. They really had been friends for a long time and she really meant the world to him. Tayce did everything he needed and then some. She was like his personal psychic - half the time she did things before he even asked. When the door opened and Tayce walked back inside, Jon watched her slide back into bed with him and smirked, scooting closer.

"Keep me up, boss lady."

Tayce rolled her eyes, shaking her head and grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm not your boss. I actually have no idea what my label or title is to you, but it's definitely not that." She tapped his nose gently, releasing his hand and pressed a gentle kiss to his bandaged forehead. "I'm glad you're okay. Now come here."

It was something Tayce always did whenever Jon got hurt in one of his matches. He would rest his head on her chest and she would run her fingers through his hair, humming softly. It always put Jon to sleep. Tayce remembered when Jon would sneak out of his house whenever his mother had one of her 'jobs' and he'd get scared. He'd climb up to her bedroom window and she'd end up letting him in, both of them sleeping in the same bed with her stroking his hair. She could remember how terrified he was and he'd quietly tell her what happened at his home…if one could even call it that. Jon spent a lot of nights in Tayce's room because he couldn't stand watching his mother have sex for money and standing on street corners in order to put food on the table. Her heart broke for him, it was no wonder why Jon had a hard time trusting people and couldn't have a relationship with a woman.

Jon groaned appreciatively. "I love it when you take care of me, boss lady. You're my boss lady."

He didn't care what Tayce's label was to him, she would always be the boss. She was the one who always made sure things were done correctly in his life. Jon couldn't help enjoy her fingers running through his hair. His headache took a while to get rid of, but listening to her heartbeat slowly was just what he needed to calm his entire body and fall asleep.

Every time Tayce did this, she fell more in love with Jon and knew it was dangerous territory. This was dangerous ground. She couldn't pass up an invitation with Jon to eat though, not to mention he had a bad concussion. She hoped he'd be alright to wrestle tomorrow because she didn't want his concussion getting worse. Tayce waited until his chest rose and fell evenly, making sure he was fully asleep and very softly brushed her lips against his. It wouldn't wake him up, she'd done it before.

"I love you, Mox." Tayce whispered, scooting down a little to rest her head on the pillow and continued running her fingers through his hair, eventually falling asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It felt good to land in Germany.

Jon enjoyed foreign countries because the fans usually went out of their minds when they were there. Not a lot of wrestling sports were in the other countries the way they dominated the states. He was ready to defend his CZW belt. Jon would be victorious because he refused to lose it to anyone overseas. His head snapped up as Tayce walked in and he looked at her with concerned eyes. Maybe it was jetlag, but something didn't look right. The same twinkle wasn't in her beautiful citrine eyes like it normally was whenever he had a match.

"Everything okay, boss lady?"

Of course there was something wrong! Jon was about to go out and have a hellacious hardcore match with Danny Havoc, one of the most lethal men in CZW to date. He still had somewhat of a concussion from his 'I Quit' match with Chris, so he wasn't 100% to defend his title. Tayce feared for his safety and wellbeing, not wanting Jon to go back to the states in any kind of casts, braces or god forbid a wheelchair. She wore a deep maroon tank dress that went 2 inches above the knee with black heels and her hair was down, curled at the ends for style. Makeup remained the same along with her jewelry.

"I'm fine, Mox. How are you feeling?" Tayce couldn't tell him what she really thought or how she felt because Jon would simply send her back to the hotel. He wouldn't want to upset her with his matches and she refused not to be in his corner in case something horrible did happen. "More importantly, how's your noggin?"

"It's still attached, as far as I can tell. It's that big mess above my shoulders that looks like my neck threw up." Jon retorted with a smirk, already knowing Tayce was worried about him.

They'd been friends entirely too long for him to not know she was worried. With him having a concussion, she knew he wasn't at 100% yet and would be even less after this match. Jon didn't care though. He loved living life on the edge and refused to back out of this match. Jon wrapped his wrists and bounced on the balls of his feet as he stretched a little. He was ready to go kick Danny's ass all over the CZW ring and tossed the title over his left shoulder. Leaning down, Jon lifted Tayce over his right shoulder, chuckling when she squealed out in surprise.

"You worry entirely too much, boss lady. Let's go kick a little ass." He headed out of the dressing room down to the black curtain.

"Moxley, I'm gonna kick your ass!" Tayce grunted, not expecting him to bodily cart her down to the ring and hoped to hell her dress covered her backside. "I can walk, ya know."

"Hey Mox, what the hell are you doing with my woman?"

"I was giving her a lift." Jon shot back smugly.

Tayce's head snapped up as soon as she heard that voice and looked back at her current fling, smirking. "Sami." She missed him because he was her saving grace from her deep raw feelings for Jon, her distraction. "Let me down really fast." She ordered Jon, feeling him set her on her feet and smoothed her dress out, walking over to Sami.

Jon bumped fists with Sami and stepped away so she could have her private moment with his other best friend. They all grew up together in Ohio, so it wasn't really a shock when Sami got into the wrestling gig too. He wasn't in as many promotions right now as Jon was, but he was just as good of a wrestler.

Sami stared deep into her citrine eyes and pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly. "Hey Tay." He smirked, pressing his forehead to hers and was glad she was back on the CZW road with him for however long. Even though he seen her just a little over a day ago, Sami missed the hell out of her. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." She caressed his face tenderly with the back of her hand, noticing the dry blood on his cheek. "Did you get doctored up?"

"Yes, I'm fine. You coming to my room tonight? I missed you, Tay."

"Hey boss lady, let's go." Jon rasped out, hating to break up her union with Sami, but they announced his name and began playing his entrance music.

Tayce nodded, stepping back. "After Jon's match and I make sure he's okay. I'll text you when we're on our way back to the hotel." She walked away from him and joined Jon, both of them heading through the curtain for his match.

Tayce didn't get in the ring because Danny Havoc was already in it, waiting on Jon. This wasn't going to be good. Jon was going to get seriously hurt in this match, she could already tell. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Or a blind man to see the murder clear in Danny's eyes. Tayce felt nauseous and it just got worse as the match progressed. Being CZW, Jon and Danny were in true form with steel chairs, barbed wire, long light bulbs - the works. They pulled out all the stops.

In the end, Jon won, but his face was a crimson mask once more and he most definitely didn't look like a winner. Jon was capable of so much more than this hardcore crap, but he honestly did love CZW and Tayce knew it. She slid into the ring after Danny Havoc rolled out, helping Jon get to his feet with his arm once again draped over her shoulder. His blood smeared her bare shoulders, her cheek and even got in her hair. They headed to the back with the fans happy and Jon holding the CZW world heavyweight championship in the air. He really was a boss. This seemed like a nightly ritual or something, at least when it came to CZW. Jon lay on the trainer's table to get re-stitched up and watched Tayce clean his blood off of her shoulders and cheek.

"Sorry I bled all over you, boss lady. If it's any consolation, red is a nice color on you." He had a morbid sense of humor at the worst time and chuckled when she swatted his arm. "I'm okay if you're wondering. And my brain is still inside my skull. It didn't leak out my ears or anything."

"I know…"

She was more concerned about his concussion because there was no way Jon didn't have one. Danny had struck him in the head repeatedly throughout that match. After the trainer looked him over and confirmed he had another concussion, -it was miraculously not worse than the previous one- Jon was released after having his head bandaged up again. They headed back to the locker room and Tayce set Jon down in a steel folding chair, packing up his things for him. She suddenly stopped what she was doing, staring down at his Mox Explicit Violence wrestling tights –Jon always had an extra pair he brought with just in case- and turned to face him, worry shining in her citrine eyes.

"Why do you do this to yourself? Why do you insist on working for this damn company that just wants to hack and slice you every which way? Jesus Christ, Jon, you wanted to be a damn wrestler! Do you honestly enjoy being cracked upside the head with weapons?" Tayce couldn't stop the questions from exploding out of her mouth, clenching her fists tightly at her sides. "You're my best friend and I'm here for you no matter what, but…you're better than this and you know it. You're better than what CZW has to offer and I wish you'd just stop doing all this hardcore bullshit before your career ends sooner than you want." Turning back around, Tayce continued packing his things and fought back tears.

Jon sat listening to his best friend while she had a meltdown in front of him and shook his head. "All I ever wanted to be was a wrestler and you know that. So along the way everything has shifted to hardcore shit. Sometimes you have to go out and make shit happen no matter how bloody it gets. You already know I'm too brash and outspoken for WWE to ever come and want to sign me. That's more than likely never going to happen. ECW is closed down and TNA is a fucking joke. So all I have is the Independents, Tayce. The minute I feel my brains start to slip out my ears, I'll bow out gracefully. Until then, I'm going balls to the wall as hard and as bloody as I can." He stood from his chair as he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Until a better offer comes along, you'll just have to keep kicking my ass, boss lady."

"You don't know that." She argued softly, looking up into his bluish grey eyes and took his wrists in her hands, holding them against her chest. "You ARE good enough for the WWE, you just don't want to take the chance because of what happened last time. It wasn't your fault that asshole got arrested for drugs, Jon. I'm scared for you. I don't want anything happening to you. I know you don't care about your life and you live it on the edge, but you have people who care about you. _I_ care about you. And you expect me to just stand back and let you continuously put yourself through this when I KNOW you deserve better than this god forsaken company." Releasing his wrists, Tayce took a few deep breaths and knew she was talking to a wall because that's all Jon was. One big wall that she wished she could figure out how to knock down. "Your things are packed, let's head to the hotel so you can get something to eat, rest and then I have to go see Sami."

"You worry too much, Tayce." He reiterated from earlier and followed Tayce out the door.

He handed her the rental keys and let her drive because he knew she wouldn't allow him to drive from the concussion. "You let me know if WWE calls for me. I'll go back and give them another shot, but don't hold your breath. It's not like they don't know where to find me. They found me the first time. If they really wanted me they could find me a second time." Jon kicked his seat back, trying to relax and get his headache down to a dull roar. "I'd go again – just for the fun of it. And your ass would be coming with me just like always. I can't go anywhere without my boss lady."

That was Tayce's new goal: To try to get a tryout for Jon with WWE.

She wanted him out of CZW for good. HWA and Dragon Gate weren't bad promotions, but CZW was too hardcore for her. She knew Jon loved it, but she secretly hated everything the company stood for. Both Jon and Sami deserved better. Jon knew she wanted him in a bigger company. One that would take better care of him and he'd have major medical insurance to help with his bumps, bruises and anything that got broken or damaged in between. He knew Tayce was just worried, but he also knew there was no way WWE would ever give him a second look.

Once they arrived at the motel, Tayce lead Jon up to his room and handed her the bag of food they stopped to get on the way. It was some kind of German restaurant that was open 24/7, which was convenient for wrestlers. Tayce had her bag in hand and gave Jon some Advil liquid gels for his headache. It was the only thing he'd take.

"Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

She kissed his forehead after tucking him in bed and knew she had to shower before going to see Sami. Tayce walked out of Jon's room and finally let a few tears slide down her cheeks, having held it in as much as she could. She headed down to her room to shower and texted Sami, letting him know she'd be down to his room within the hour. Jon ate in bed and took the Advil she left for him. Once he smoked a couple of cigarettes, he was completely out. He couldn't wait to get back to the states because he had a couple of days off coming up soon and he would be doing an OBSCENE amount of sleeping.

Staring up at the ceiling hours later, Tayce smoked a much-needed cigarette along with Sami, both of them coming down from their sexual high. The second the door opened and Sami laid eyes on her, Tayce was drawn into his arms with a passionate kiss. One thing lead to another, clothes flying in all directions as they fell into bed together with Sami buried to the hilt inside of her. As good as he felt, Sami wasn't Jon. It was her escape from Jon for just a little while though because Sami could make it happen somehow, someway. She took a long drag, letting the smoke filter out of her mouth and nose, sighing in contentment.

"Why are we in love with people we can't have?" Sami asked, rolling over to rest his head on his propped hand, staring down at her. "Why can't we just…fall for each other?"

"Because love doesn't work that way, Sami." Tayce smiled sadly, looking up into his beautiful green eyes and shifted a little to get closer to him. "Try as we might, our hearts belong to someone else and there's nothing we can do about it. You can't help who you fall in love with and all that jazz. Besides, love is overrated. If all we have is incredible sex, I'm all for it." She accepted a soft kiss from him, burying her hand in his black hair as he hovered over her. "Oh god…"

"No, not god. Just me, Tay." Sami grunted, sliding right back inside her receptive body as they started another round,

Taking her cigarette away, Sami didn't want Tayce to burn them and set it in the ashtray. Then he rolled her over to where she was on top, gripping her hips and guided her up and down on his rock hard cock. Her nails raked down his muscular chest as Sami worked her body into another frenzy, her head tilting back as the sensations overwhelmed her. Tayce spent the better part of the night having sex with Sami in all positions until they both passed out from exhaustion, tangled up in each other's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rumors started circulating that Jon had been signed to WWE.

In order to try keeping him within the confines of the Dragon Gate company, they hired Trina Michaels and Valerie Malone to keep Jon preoccupied. Jon smirked as he sat in the dressing room taping his wrists. He could tell that Tayce was generally annoyed with the two vixens, more so Trina Michaels than Valerie Malone. Trina kept trying to take his boss lady's reigns and take over for her, but Tayce wasn't having any of it. Jon had warned Trina several times not to tangle with Tayce, but he knew the blonde bombshell would just have to learn the hard way. That was just an ass kicking waiting to happen.

Dragon Gate was officially on Tayce's shit list.

She hated this company more than CZW because at least CZW didn't try shoving whores down Jon's throat. Tayce was more than annoyed, she was irate and wanted them OUT. It was bad enough Jon had to do a program with a bitch named Reby Sky, but now he had Trina Michaels and Valerie Malone to contend with. That was fine. Those bitches were about to get a RUDE awakening.

Tayce had done it.

Somehow, someway she had gotten a hold of the WWE headquarters and requested Jon to have a tryout match with the company. Apparently, Vince McMahon had his eye on Jon for quite a while and had waited for the opportune moment to scoop him up. Tayce couldn't have been happier, but she had to keep her lips zipped or else Dragon Gate would take advantage of Jon and that wasn't happening. WWE planned to have a secret tryout wherever Jon was located because they wanted this to stay secret, especially away from the internet. Dragon Gate had no idea about it either. Nobody did except Tayce and Jon. Hopefully this was the beginning of something incredible, but it also was bittersweet because Tayce would have to leave Sami behind.

Jon continued to smirk as he waited for Tayce to join him in the locker room. Trina had been trying to get him to move his ass for the better part of an hour and Jon refused. He wouldn't make a move without Tayce and, the sooner Trina figured that out, the sooner he'd have her out of his hair. She was a hot piece of ass, but she wasn't worth all the crap. She was too materialistic and high maintenance. He saw Trina stand up and walk over to him while he sat on the steel folding chair, staring down at his taped hands. His match was next and Tayce hadn't arrived yet, but he wasn't worried. Trina tried telling him again it was time to leave and his bluish grey eyes finally glared up at her.

"Trina, if you come over here one more time and bug me about going to the fucking ring, I'm going to strangle your annoying ass with your own hair. Now go back over there and sit down. I go NOWHERE without Tayce." His raspy voice snapped out.

Trina gaped at Jon and couldn't believe what a lowlife he was to talk down to her like this! She was just trying to help him and all he cared about was Tayce! It was Tayce this, Tayce that…Tayce, Tayce, TAYCE! She was SICK of hearing that name and wondered who the hell was dumb enough to name their kid Tayce.

"Whatever." She snorted, stalking away from him and sulked in the corner.

"Mox, you ready? Your match is next." Tayce announced, walking inside the dressing room with a pair of black dress pants and a sleeveless wine colored top on, her golden auburn hair down. "Everything okay?"

"No actually it's not." Trina was fed up with biting her tongue, especially when Jon jumped up from where he sat as soon as Tayce came back into the room. "I JUST told him his match was next and he threatened to choke me with my own hair!"

Tayce merely smiled, raising a brow at Trina and folded her arms in front of her chest. "You obviously annoyed him, pissed him off or something because Mox doesn't threaten unless the person deserves it. I know what you're trying to do, Michaels." She stepped forward, squaring her shoulders with cold citrine eyes. "You're trying to take over what I do for him and, let me tell you something right now: NOBODY can take my place. I've been with him since he was 16 years old and even before that. We grew up together. I know everything about him, all of his dirty secrets and he knows mine. We're closer than close. So for you to try to step all over me to try to get to him is a huge waste of time. Step off before I knock your ass out. Come on Mox, time to kick some ass and then you have a flight to catch." When he raised a brow at her, Tayce's smile widened. "It's a surprise, let's go."

Jon felt like a kid in a candy store. "Where we going? Huh, huh, huh?"

He bounced on his feet next to her while they walked to the black curtain. It wasn't very often that he was given surprises, so when Tayce promised him something, he was more curious than he could ever possibly be. She had a knowing glint in her eyes and his curiosity peaked even HIGHER.

"What aren't you telling me, boss lady? Come on out with it." She finally swatted him on the ass like a 5 year old and pointed to the ring. Jon chuckled and bowed to her. "Alright boss lady, I'm going."

"Jon, wait." Tayce stopped him from going through the curtain by grabbing his arm, those bluish grey eyes locking on citrine. "Do you trust me?" She smiled when he nodded and reached up to smooth a strand of dishwater blonde hair from his forehead. "Then go out there and have the match of your life. There are prying eyes and eavesdroppers all over, so I'll tell you once we're completely alone. And I'm not going to the ring with you. I have to go talk to Sami. So have a great match, kick some ass and I'll see you when you come back through the curtain."

Tayce glared at Trina since the bitch had to accompany him to ringside along with Valerie, shaking her head. Pathetic. The whores had better enjoy every second of it while they could because Jon was on his way out Dragon Gate's door. Turning, she headed down the hallway toward Sami's locker room, chewing her bottom lip. What she was about to tell him wouldn't go over well, Tayce just knew it, but it had to be done.

Jon's curiosity burned like a wild fire within him, wondering what the hell Tayce had up her sleeve. Did he trust Tayce? That was easy to answer - with his very life. He would trust her with his life until the day he died. Jon did as Tayce told him and worked his ass off in the ring. He knew it was going to be a crazy match, but that was really nothing new. The only bad part was Trina thinking she needed to get involved in the match like an idiot and that just set Jon up for an obscene amount of pain, making him lose his title at the same time. Tayce was going to KILL Trina and Jon just might help her.

Meanwhile, Sami paced back and forth in his dressing room, not sure what to think or feel about what Tayce just told him. "You're fucking kidding me right?" He finally stated, stopping to turn acid green eyes on her. "And you're going with him, aren't you?"

Tayce felt tears fill her eyes and nodded, her heart breaking because she felt like she was abandoning Sami. "Wherever he goes, I go. You knew that when we started this." She sounded completely helpless and defeated. "This is what's best for him. It'll get him out of CZW and…"

"What's wrong with CZW?" Sami demanded angrily, gritting his teeth. "I happen to love the company, so watch what you say, Tayce." He was backstage at Dragon Gate because they invited him to take a look around and see if it was a company he might want to start wrestling for.

"Jon is too good for it. He deserves better and so do you. You both need to get the hell out before you end your careers doing something monumentally stupid. I'm doing what I feel is best for Jon."

"Jon-Jon-Jon that's all I ever hear come out of your fucking mouth! When are you going to realize he doesn't love you and he never will? When are you going to see what's standing right in front of you?" Sami grabbed her by the upper arms, yanking her flush against his body.

"You don't love me and we both know it." Tayce said softly, whimpering. "And it's always going to be Jon. I can't help who I love and who I want to be with. If it means that I remain by his side and we share a few nights in bed sleeping side by side, it's enough for me."

Sami released her, looking disgusted. "Yeah well one day it won't be, Tayce. One day you will wake up and realize just how much time you wasted on someone who will never want or love you back. So go ahead. Leave and go with him. Keep being his slave. I'm done and wash my hands of this. Now get out."

"Sami…"

"I SAID GET OUT!" Sami roared, shoving her into the hallway, making her crash against the wall and slammed the door shut seconds later.

Tayce had to stand there for a minute to regain her breathing and then headed back to the curtain, waiting for Jon's match to finish. He lost. It wasn't a surprise considering what she had in store for him.

"Your things are packed up and we have to head straight to the airport. Sorry about your loss. You okay?"

Jon wasn't surprised Tayce's smiling face was waiting for him behind the curtain. "Yeah, change is good. But hey on the upside, you can kill Trina now and have a damn good reason for it."

He could tell something was off about her. Tayce didn't look like her normal self. They walked back to his dressing room and once they were behind closed doors, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Jon wasn't an idiot, he knew when something was wrong with his best friend. He wasn't big on hugging or touching, but when it came to Tayce he had her back always.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah everything is fine." Tayce lied smoothly, pulling back because they were pressed for time. "Now go shower and change, you have 15 minutes and then we have to go. Once we're on the plane, I'll tell you everything you need to know." She shoved him gently but firmly toward the bathroom. "Make sure you clean up too. I have dress pants and a nice baby blue dress shirt that you're wearing."

Smiling at his confused look, Tayce simply waved him off dismissively and walked over to sit in the steel folding chair. 15 minutes later, Jon emerged from the bathroom wearing exactly what Tayce wanted and her breath was completely stolen from her body. He looked scrumptious, especially the baby blue shirt because it made the blue in his eyes stand out. She walked over and smoothed his hair back with some gel, nodding.

"Excellent, now let's go. We have a flight to catch."

Tayce could only hope he enjoyed her surprise. Jon wouldn't question her and did as he was told. The whole ride to the airport, Jon was completely on edge and couldn't get his fingers to stop shaking. It was one of his ticks he had along with stuttering whenever he became flustered. He fidgeted at the airport while waiting to board until Tayce smacked his leg, making him temporarily stop. Then he was fidgeting on the plane until she smacked his leg again and Tayce added a glare this time.

"Sorry! I can't help it. You haven't told me where we're going and now we're on a plane to god knows where, doing god knows what. I trust you, I always have and always will, but you're too devious for your own good sometimes." Jon looked over at her and smirked. "What is it exactly that you've got up your sleeve that you're being so secretive about? If you don't tell me, I'll be forced to touch the feet. Don't think I won't." Idle threats never bothered Tayce, but he knew her weakness with her feet.

Narrowing her eyes at Jon, Tayce folded her arms in front of her chest and tried to keep her face neutral. "Threatening the feet will get you NOWHERE, Mox." She informed him coolly, purposefully drawing out the suspension because she loved screwing with him.

It wasn't often an opportunity came along where Tayce could screw with Jon a little. So it was definitely overdue. But Tayce also knew Jon's anxiety would skyrocket through the plane, which was never a good thing because he couldn't smoke. So she decided to take pity on him and pulled something out of her purse, handing it to him.

"We're on our way to Stamford, Connecticut." She watched as his eyes slowly widened with every word he read, the biggest smile crossing her face. Tayce nodded when his eyes finally left the paper to stare at her in shock. "I did it, Jon. You're in. You just have to sign the contract they offer, if it's to your standards and then you'll be on your way to Florida within a month. I told them to give you enough time to wrap things up in all the companies you're involved in currently. Surprise!"

Jon wasn't sure if he was going to scream or throw up. "WOOOOO!" Scream it was. Not to mention scaring all the passengers on the plane at the same time. "Sorry! So sorry!" He apologized profusely. He looked over at Tayce, bluish grey eyes twinkling. "Come here you little vixen." Jon grabbed her face and placed sloppy kisses from her forehead to her chin. "You're the fucking best, you know that!" Now he couldn't stop bouncing in his seat. He couldn't believe she'd actually gotten the WWE to give him an actual deal and not some crap like last time. "Boss lady, you are the best."

"Eww you slobbered all over me!"

Tayce pushed away from him playfully and wiped off her face without musing her makeup. She was glad Jon was happy about this because, honestly, she didn't know what kind of reaction he'd have. There was a lot of anxiety setting this up with the WWE, but it was all worth it to see the big goofy smile on his face.

"Sami wishes you well and he hopes to see you soon." She said softly, patting his hand and stared back out the window, hoping one day Sami would forgive her for leaving him to travel with Jon. "Now stop bouncing before I duct tape your ass to the seat."

Jon chuckled, trying to calm his bouncing. "Sorry boss lady, need a drool bib or something?" He chuckled softly, looking out the window and leaned over to lick her cheek. "Now that is slobbering."

He couldn't contain himself for much longer. He hated leaving Sami behind, but Tayce had been right, he had to do something to help him. Jon couldn't be worried about anyone else. It was his career and his life on the line every time he got in the ring. Hardcore was NOT the way he wanted to go, it was a way to get his foot in the door of professional wrestling. Jon made his way back to sit next to Tayce and leaned his head back against the seat, trying to calm his raging anxiety.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The plane landed several hours later in Stamford, Connecticut and, just as Tayce was informed, a limousine was waiting for them. Jon immediately lit up as soon as they were out of the airport, barely making it through security without punching one of the guards. She knew they were only doing their job and kept Jon calm the entire time by rubbing his arm up and down. They slid into the long black stretch limousine and Jon immediately cracked the window, blowing smoke out of it. Tayce held his hand the entire time, feeling the nerves quaking his body and wished there was something she could do to calm down him. Shifting, Tayce moved to straddle Jon's lap without interrupting his smoking and grabbed his face in her hands, their eyes locking.

"You have nothing to worry about. They want you. Everyone wants you. Everyone wants to see your sexy ass in that ring doing what you do best. This is just like any other promotion, any other company. You got this. You are the best. Now stop being nervous and stop fidgeting. Just walk in there with your attitude and show them exactly who Jonathan Good is."

Jon nodded, continuing to smoke. His free hand gripped her hip and kept her in place on his lap because she was calming him down. The smoke wasn't working as fast as he would've liked, but his best friend was. He smirked, turning his head from Tayce and blew the smoke out the window.

"So you think I'm sexy now, huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows jokingly.

"N-No…I mean yes – I mean no! Stop making me flustered, ass!" 

Tayce smacked him on the shoulder, fighting back everything her body currently felt. The fire coursed through her at his touch on her hip and the way he blew smoke out the window with that damn smirk on his face was just about her undoing. Tayce was in trouble - so much trouble. She carefully extracted herself from his lap and had to take several deep silent breaths while he continued smoking to calm her racing heart.

"Now focus, we'll be there soon. Just remember what I said."

"Calm down boss lady, you're going to give yourself a heart attack. If you need a smoke they are on top of my bag."

Jon still couldn't believe she really got him a contract. He could only imagine what they were offering and really hoped it wasn't some lame deal. He was still nervous, but it wasn't as bad as before. He grabbed Tayce's hand and kept it in his. She helped calm him down more than the smokes lately and he didn't understand why, not about to question it.

"I'm really going to do this? I'm really going to sign with a company who threw me away like yesterday's garbage and didn't give me a real shot?" Worried bluish grey eyes turned to his best friend as the limo came to a stop in front of Titan Towers. "Tell me I'm doing the right thing. And they better realize I go nowhere without you."

"Yes, you're really doing this and you already know I'm not going anywhere. I'm with you all the way. Vince really wants you, he just won't act like it. So don't fall for that. Just breathe and if you don't like the contract they draw up, make your changes clear. And they already offered me a contract to be your exclusive personal assistant, which is basically what I've been all along. I just didn't have a term for it in the Indies." Tayce squeezed his hand, wanting him to have that same confidence in his eyes he did when he held 3 world titles and tag team titles at the same time in the Independent circuit. "Come on, I'm right by your side, Jon."

Jon nodded and swallowed hard. He slid out of the back seat of the limo and held his hand out for Tayce. They walked into the building and Jon instantly wished he would've had one last smoke. The secretary smiled up at them warmly with her hands folded on top of the shiny desk, dressed up semi-casually.

"Welcome to WWE headquarters at Titan Towers, how may I help you today?" She asked, her nametag saying the name Penny embroidered on it.

"Yes, my name is Tayce Stevens and this is Jonathan Good. We have an appointment with Mr. McMahon at 3 PM." Tayce said politely with a soft smile of her own.

"Just a second." Penny typed on her computer for a minute to bring up the appointments Mr. McMahon had that day and nodded. "Yes, there you are. Take the elevator to the 52nd floor and follow the signs. You can't miss them. Have a great day."

"Thanks, you too."

Guiding Jon to the elevator, Tayce stepped on it with him as the elevator doors closed. Jon had never been so nervous in his entire life. Last time he didn't even meet with Vince McMahon or anyone from the production and creative team. It was some assistant who made him sign an 'at will employee' contract. All that basically meant was they could fire him for no reason whenever they pleased. As they walked into the huge office, Jon came to the realization this was it and there was no turning back. It was do or die because everything had changed overnight.

Vince greeted them as soon as Tayce and Jon walked inside his office, thankful Jon had gotten his nerves under control. They sat down and went over Jon's contract, which was pretty standard. The man was smart though. He didn't sign anything he didn't fully read, which Tayce admired. She too read over her own contract, which was very simple compared to Jon's. It basically stated that the WWE paid her a specific amount of dollars to be Jon's exclusive personal assistant. She explained to Jim Ross over the phone just how close her and Jon were and that wherever he went, so did she. Vince didn't seem to mind it.

At the end of everything, both Tayce and Jon signed on the dotted line and had exactly 2 months to wrap things up in the Indies. Then Jon and Tayce would head down to FCW in Florida to figure out what Jon's character would be. Once his character reached full potential, he would be called up to the big leagues, but not until everything was concrete. They didn't give a time frame on that, but bottom line was Jonathan Good was officially a WWE developmental wrestler.

Jon left Titan Towers with a smile that wouldn't quit. He looked over at Tayce as the limo picked them back up and took them to the Hilton Hotel for some much needed rest and relaxation. As they entered the suite and set their bags down, Jon looked at Tayce once again. Nothing had been said in the limo. It was complete silence as they both processed what they'd just read, signed and sealed. Out of nowhere Jon threw his arms around Tayce, lifting her from the floor and swung her around in circles.

"I just signed a developmental contract with WWE." He grabbed her face, raining sloppy kisses all over her again. "And I have you to thank for it!"

Tayce giggled softly, holding onto Jon for dear life as he lifted her up again. Her arms locked around his neck and Tayce hugged him close, feeling her feet land back on the carpeted floor. It felt so amazing being in his arms, Tayce relished in it while Jon kept thanking her for everything she did.

"All I did was make a couple phone calls and set up the meeting. You did the rest, Jon." Tayce pulled back, staring deep into his eyes and tapped his nose. "This is all YOU. I'm so proud of you." Tears filled her eyes as the realization of what just happened suddenly crashed over Tayce and she had to sit down, feeling lightheaded. "My god, you finally made it. You're achieving your dream."

Jon nodded, pulling her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Don't cry Tayce. We're in this together, I don't care. You jump, I jump." Jon smirked, leaning down and tossed her over his shoulder, chuckling when she squealed out. He walked into the bedroom, tossed her onto the bed and flopped down beside her. "Let's order some food and some alcohol. We should eat, drink and celebrate. And then call all the assholes and tell them to fuck off." This he could get used to.

"Whatever you want, Mox. I'm game for anything."

Tayce grinned, kissing his cheek and hopped up to grab the phone. They could order room service, that wasn't an issue, but one of them would have to go out for alcohol. Luckily, Jon offered to do it, promising to return so they could get the celebration underway. Tayce sifted through her bag and pulled out a light blue camisole with black and light blue boy cut panty shorts. Jon had seen her naked before so Tayce didn't think it was inappropriate to wear her sleeping attire. They were about to get bombed, so she wanted to be as comfortable as possible.

Brushing her hair out, Tayce pulled it up in a messy bun on top of her head and ordered room service. Steak dinners with all the trimmings and a big bag of tootsie rolls for dessert. Jon absolutely loved them and they spent many nights eating bag after bag since Tayce always had one on hand when they were little. It was hard to believe they'd been friends for over 20 years.

Jon got every alcohol that he knew he and Tayce enjoyed together. They'd been friends long enough that he knew exactly what she liked to get drunk on. He couldn't wait to start celebrating. In some way he wanted to call and talk with Sami, but in others, he knew Sami was going to be angry or hurt and he didn't want to do that to his best friend. Not right now, not ever. As soon as he got back to the hotel, he stripped out of the dress clothes and got into his comfy jeans, staying bare chested. He was a normal guy like everyone else, hated wearing shirts that were constricting and a dress shirt was the absolutely worst. As they sat down to eat, Jon made sure to pour them both a drink.

"You really know how to order some food, boss lady."

"Well this is a celebration and it's been a while since we had a nice steak dinner. And if you're good, I have a surprise for you after dinner."

Tayce winked, laughing when Jon groaned because he wasn't good with surprises. Hell, look what he did to her on the plane to make her spill about the WWE! Threatening her feet! Downing her first shot of Tequila, Tayce fixed her steak with some A1 sauce and began cutting into it.

"Did they get yours right? I told them medium well-done." Hers was medium-rare and it looked to be exactly right. Pouring another shot for both of them, Tayce held her tumbler up to Jon, smiling. "Here's to achieving your dream at becoming a professional wrestler for the biggest organization in the world. I'm proud of you, Jon, and I know you'll do great." They clinked the tumblers together, downed them and dug into their food.

"Yeah, they got it right." He poured another tumbler full for both of them. "This is definitely a celebration. I definitely couldn't have done it without your ass kicking 24/7, boss lady. I know I don't say thank you enough, but we've been friends for so long sometimes I forget to say it." He downed his tumbler. "Thank you."

If it was anyone else in his life, he would tell them to eat shit and go to hell. But Tayce – Tayce really was there for him growing up. Even now with micromanaging his schedule with all the companies he currently worked for. She really was an angel, one he hoped to never lose out of his life.

"Two months, do you think it's enough time to get everything squared?" He asked curiously, taking a bite of steak.

"Just leave it to me. I got you covered. I've already spoken with all the organizations and they promised to keep their mouths shut until we're ready to announce your leave." Tayce explained, taking a bite of food and groaned at how good it was. "Two months will give you enough time to choose who you want to drop your titles too and how you want to leave the companies. They are giving you full reign over your character. Now stop worrying, eat your dinner and relish in the fact you will soon be a WWE Superstar."

Jon finished his food and continued to drink. They had both finally opted to just drink straight from the bottle and tossed the tumblers. Oh yes, they were both going to be blitzed before the night was even half over. Once they finished eating, they laid across the bed staring at the television while a movie played. Jon wasn't sure which movie it was and didn't really care, pulling a smoke out lighting it up.

"Get a good movie on, boss lady! All this stuff is fluff and shit."

"Shut up ass, I'm trying!" Tayce grumbled, feeling lightheaded from the liquor and had a very nice buzz going. "And stop hogging the Tequila, there's another bottle to go through still."

She snatched it from him, taking a long swallow and handed it back with a smirk of her own. Tayce could outdrink almost anyone except Jon, they were really going to regret doing this in the morning. Finding a scary movie, Tayce tossed the remote on the nightstand and didn't realize Jon had scooted closer to her. His arm draped around her shoulders and they shared the bottle of Tequila back and forth, draining it in no time. A rush of heat flowed through Tayce as Jon's fingers kept running up and down her arm, hearing his slurred words. Hers were doing the same thing.

Then it happened all in a matter of seconds.

Tayce sat up halfway to remove her camisole, too hot to wear anything else at the moment, leaving her clad in a light blue lace bra. She felt Jon's fingers leave her arm to run down her bare back and felt a shiver course down her spine at his touch. Her head turned to look at him just as he looked up from her back and Tayce's mouth instantly went dry. God she wanted him. Her entire body screamed to just take the plunge and, with how much alcohol currently in her system, there was no holding back. Tayce tackled Jon to the bed, clumsily straddling him as her mouth covered his, passionately kissing him breathless.

Instinctively, his hands gripped her hips and held her against him. His hands slid back and squeezed her delicious ass, pulling her closer to his body. Jon's tongue slid across her bottom lip begging for entrance and Tayce instantly opened her mouth, their tongues automatically dueling each other. They both tried to be the dominant, almost battling against each other as the alcohol fueled their fire. His hands went from her luscious ass to her soft supple breasts, feeling her nipples poking through her bra into the palm of his hands. Jon groaned into her mouth at the feeling of her tiny pebbles against his calloused hands and felt her start grinding against his jean covered erection.

Oh Christ, he tasted as amazing as Tayce dreamed of. She couldn't believe this was happening. His hands turned her insides into molten lava, liquid fire. She couldn't help grinding against him, having wanted this for so long and nothing would stop it from happening right now. Tayce had finally kissed him and his growling sent delicious vibrations throughout her body. Her panties were soaked and suddenly she craved having Jon deep inside of her. Feeling Jon roll her over, Tayce went easily enough as they continued kissing, touching, feeling…Tayce was in heaven.

She buried her hands in his haphazard dishwater blonde hair, enjoying the combination of cigarettes and Tequila on his breath. His mouth regretfully left hers and attached to the side of her neck, making Tayce's head completely spin out of control. One of his hands moved down to stroke the crotch of her boy cut panty shorts, tearing them completely from her burning body. That just turned her on further, her bra going moments later along with his jeans. This was it. They were about to have sex and Tayce completely melted, the anticipation nearly killing her.

Then all at once, it ended. Jon grabbed his cock, ready to drill into this beautiful woman and suddenly felt his world go completely black, slumping against the bed. As soon as Jon's body slumped on top of her, Tayce knew instantly he passed out. He actually passed out while nearly having sex with her! Tayce was mortified and even through the thick alcohol haze, her heart shattered into a million pieces. With all of her strength, Tayce shoved Jon off of her to make him land on his back on the bed.

She stared down at him with tears brimming her amber eyes, watching as his chest rose and fell evenly, signifying he really had passed out on her. Shaking her head in disgust at herself, Tayce stumbled out of the bed and snatched her clothes off the floor, including her shredded boy cut panty shorts. Her head swam and pounded because the buzz was completely gone. She did snatch the other bottle of Tequila, refusing to go to bed without having a few more shots and slammed the door of his bedroom shut behind her. Tayce went to her own like she should've from the beginning and proceeded to cry herself to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jon woke up the following morning feeling refreshed as ever. He couldn't believe he actually had a sex dream with Trina, that nasty whore. There was no way he'd touch her with his dick even if it had 10 condoms on. Shaking his head, Jon pulled himself from bed ignoring the fact he was completely naked. Jesus it must've been some dream. He kicked the shower on and stepped inside, letting the warm water cascade over his naked body to wake him up more. Breakfast called his name along with a lot of coffee, but first he would be waking Tayce up once he got out of the shower. He never had a hangover for some reason and always woke up starving after a heavy night of drinking.

Tayce was the same way. She rarely got hangovers as long as she didn't mix beer with hard liquor. On the table was a double cheeseburger with everything, fries and an energy drink – Jon's favorite meal after a night of drinking. Tayce thought long and hard about what happened the previous night with Jon. There was no way she would bring up what happened unless Jon did first. If he wanted to pretend nothing happened, that was perfectly fine with her.

She threw herself at him like a bitch in heat, a whore, and it sickened her. Tayce wore a simple pair of skinny blue jeans and a long sleeved burnt orange top. It was still chilly in Connecticut, so she kept her hair down and ordered some French toast with eggs, hash browns and bacon – her favorite day after drinking meal. When Jon walked out, Tayce plastered on a smile and handed him a cup of coffee, already holding one.

"Food's here. We have an hour before we have to leave to head to the airport. So take your time."

Jon threw his fist in the air. "YES!" He leaned over kissing the top of her head. "You are the best, boss lady."

He plopped down and started to dig into his burger, groaning when all the flavors hit his tongue. Leaning back against the couch, Jon stretched his legs out. His comfy jeans and black t-shirt were helping with the relaxation while he devoured his food, not remembering the last time he felt this amazing.

"Fuck, you're going to piss your pants laughing. I don't know what time I passed out last night, but you could've seriously gotten away with drawing shit on my face with a sharpie. I was definitely blitzed out of my mind. I had the weirdest fucking sex dream about that airhead Trina Michaels. Like my dick would ever touch her." He chuckled and took another bite out of his greasy delicious burger.

Tayce felt like she was sucker punched in the gut 1,000 times as soon as those words came out of Jon's mouth. He thought it was a DREAM! And he thought she was TRINA MICHAELS?! Tayce really had to stop herself from slapping the hell out of him because that had to be the worst insult anyone had ever given her. To actually be compared to that whore…that slut…that…Tayce took a deep breath and forced a laugh, though it did not reach her eyes.

"You must've really gotten plastered then. We finished the movie, or rather I did and I went to bed in my own room. I don't remember much either." She was lying through her teeth and hated it. "Now eat your food and forget about that stupid cunt. You'll never have to deal with her again once you're in WWE."

"Oh I was definitely blitzed. Believe me. I was naked, as in completely without apparel." Jon smirked. "I love it when you say that word." Jon couldn't believe he had a sex dream about that nasty snatch. He shook his head and continued to eat, glancing over at her. "Where are we off to next, boss lady?"

Jon was curious about which program he'd be going to next. He knew he would have to start dropping belts and losing matches. As much as he hated that thought, he would get more from WWE than he could imagine. He just had to keep remembering that.

"Back to CZW for your program with Robert Anthony. You're going to referee his next match and basically mentor him on your way out the door." Tayce explained, opening her laptop while slowly munching on her breakfast, making some notes.

They would start getting paid from WWE as soon as Jon went to FCW, which was 2 weeks away. Their hotel suite in the Hilton was covered by the WWE because they had to fly up to Stamford for the contract signing. So WWE foot the bill, not them, thankfully.

"Then after that it's basically going to be you tying up loose ends, dropping your belts and getting ready to say goodbye to the Indies." Hopefully with how much blood, sweat and tears Jon put into each match, they would give him the proper send-off he deserved.

**~!~**

Jon couldn't believe he'd been under WWE developmental contract for the last 3 months. Training and working his ass off for his first debut match. Once news about him signing with WWE spread, Dragon Gate allowed him to leave the promotion as did the others he was in. Everyone was well aware that if a wrestler was with WWE, they were obligated to NO ONE ELSE, no matter what. Tonight he was challenging Colby Lopez –His in ring name was Seth Rollins- to a title match. And that was exactly what he would do. He looked up as Tayce came through the door, looking beautiful as ever.

"It's been a long 3 months, boss lady. Do you really think I'm ready for my debut tonight?"

"You really need to stop questioning yourself so much, Mox."

Even though his name had been changed from Jon Moxley to Dean Ambrose, –Tayce had NO idea who came up with that name and didn't bother asking- she still called him Mox. It was a habit. Old habits die hard. The last few months in the Indy companies were rough for Jon because he was close to a lot of people. Sami refused to talk to Tayce, but he did keep contact with Jon. If Jon noticed the tension between Sami and Tayce, he didn't say anything or was too focused on his WWE debut to notice. Either way, Tayce had made her decision and stuck by Jon's side, even after their drinking binge moment. As far as she was concerned, it never happened, but her subconscious did not agree with that sentiment.

"You are the best and soon the WWE fans are going to know it." Walking over, Tayce began rubbing Jon's shoulders and could feel the tension, frowning a little. "Relax Mox, there's no reason for you to be this high-strung. You got this. Believe in yourself, will you?"

Jon exhaled heavily and stood from his spot, staring down at his best friend. The last few weeks, actually the last couple of months, he could tell there was definitely a difference in Tayce. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. But Jon wouldn't push her. Tayce knew if she had to talk about anything personal or work-related, he was always open for her.

"So, are you going out there with me and be my hot valet?" He asked, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. "You know the guys are gonna drool if you go out there looking like that."

"I think it would be in your best interest to start fresh here without a valet. I signed on to be your personal assistant and that's it." Even though Vince did say she could accompany Jon to the ring if they wanted, Tayce had to put some kind of distance between them. "You don't need a valet to make you look good anymore. This is all you. Now go out there and blow the doors off the place." Colby Lopez was the current FCW champion and Jon had gone after him straightaway, wanting to prove himself. "I'll be here when you get back and I'll even stand at the curtain if you want, but no I'm not going out there with you."

Jon's music hit and a smile stretched across his face, sticking his fist out to Tayce. Once Tayce bumped her fist against his, he nodded and took off to the ring. From a promo that opened everyone's eyes had flowed into an insult match between Colby and Jon while they stood in the middle of the ring before the match started. And it was absolutely beautiful. Jon could kill anyone's crap with a microphone in 3 seconds. It only took Jon that amount of time to find people's faults and he already found Colby's. It wasn't that hard.

"That's my Mox." Tayce whispered while watching on the monitor backstage, chewing her thumbnail nervously as the match got underway.

"Hello."

Tayce turned her eyes away from the monitor, staring a corkscrew curly haired beauty and smiled hesitantly. "Hi…"

Sophie smiled, having noticed the golden auburn haired woman staring at the monitor intensely and had a feeling she was Jonathan Good's personal assistant. "It's Tayce, right?" When the woman nodded, Sophie stuck her hand out. "Sophie Martini, welcome to the WWE." She was also in developmental, trying to make it as a wrestler/Diva in the WWE. "How are you liking it around here? I heard through the grapevine you came from the Indies."

"Yeah, Jon was well-known because of how many promotions he was involved in." And how many championships he held at one time, Tayce added in thought, keeping the smile on her face. "And we're adjusting pretty well around here. It's much better than traveling constantly trying to make it to different shows. We actually have a set schedule now and it's refreshing."

"I hear that." Sophie agreed wholeheartedly. "I never got into the Indy circuit, but I heard it's brutal, especially if you're working for more than one promotion at once."

"Definitely." Tayce turned her eyes back to the monitor, wincing when Jon took a hard spill outside of the ring.

Sophie could clearly see the worry in the woman's eyes while she watched Jonathan Good battle Colby, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "Hey, some of us are going to a movie after the show. You and Jon are more than welcome to join us, if you want." She knew how hard it was being new to the company and wanted to make them feel as welcome as possible.

"Thank you for the offer, but…I think Jon and I are just gonna head back to the hotel and relax. He was really high-strung about his debut and he needs to warm up to people. He's not exactly a…people person, I guess. But maybe we can catch a movie together sometime, just us girls?" Tayce suggested, not wanting to blow the woman off because she seemed like a sweetheart. "Lord knows I need a break from Mox every once in a blue moon."

"No problem, if you change your mind we'll be leaving in a half hour. Just remember you're welcome anytime. My place is down on the beach here in Tampa, so if you ever feel the need to soak in some vitamin D just come and find me. I always welcome girl company. Some days these boys just get on my nerves." The girls both shared a heartfelt laugh, agreeing with those sentiments. Sophie noticed Tayce had a notepad and pen, so she quickly jotted down her cell number. "Call anytime you need to get away, sweetie. I'll catch you later, I gotta go get a shower and get ready." She walked off to the locker room to prepare for her match that night against Summer Rae –her real name was Danielle Moinet- and Sophie couldn't stand her.

Jon walked back through the curtain 10 minutes later, a smirk forcing on his face as soon as he saw Tayce. "You know this WWE thing is really starting to settle well with me. This is definitely different than it was the last time. Everything seems to be more professional and well thought-out. I really do like it. I hate the fact that I can't talk as much shit or cuss as much as I want, but I can get over those two things as long as I can get everything else." They walked down the hallway toward his locker room. "And you do know eventually we're going to have to get out of the hotel and rent an apartment of some kind."

Tayce stopped in her tracks and blinked at a confused Jon, wondering if she just heard him right. "Y-You want to…live together?" Damn it, why did she have to stammer? "Sorry, that just really caught me off guard. And I already looked into some apartments for us. Tomorrow morning at 10 AM, we have a showing and the apartments are right across the hall from each other in the same building. But living together…" That would be a very bad idea, especially after what transpired 3 months ago the night they signed their deals with WWE. "It's not like we won't be far away from each other, but at least we'll be able to walk around naked in our own places if we want." She forced a nervous laugh, both of them walking into the locker room so Jon could change.

Jon raised a brow, chuckling. "What, like staying in the same hotel for 3 months isn't living together suddenly?" He shook his head. "Girl, you're my best friend. If I can't live with you, I can't live with anyone. Besides, it's not like we haven't seen each other naked before. I know what you're hiding, you know what I'm hiding, so it's no big surprise." He slung his arm over her shoulder. "It'll also save money until we get the call to the big leagues, but if you don't want to live with me, that's just fine. I'll just have to be sure and give you a nice loud wakeup call every morning."

Smirking, Jon could be a complete ass when he wanted to be. That smirk would be the death of her yet. Tayce simply knew it. What the hell was she supposed to do? They were in a strange town and didn't know anyone, so of course Jon felt vulnerable. He wouldn't admit it, but Tayce knew him like the back of her hand.

"We can get a two bedroom apartment together, I don't care. I just figured you wanted your space." She saw the relief flash through Jon's eyes and smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist to give him a gentle hug. "Alright smelly, go shower and then we'll get going back to the hotel."

Tayce didn't bother telling him about the invite Sophie gave them because she already knew what his answer would be. Jon chuckled, walking off to get showered and changed. Once he was in his jeans, black t-shirt and black sneakers he slicked his hair back out of his face and shouldered his bag. As he walked out of the men's locker room, he saw Tayce leaning against the wall across the way and it looked like she was in deep thought.

"Come on, woman I'm starving. I could eat the ass of a dead horse right now." He rubbed his stomach and they both laughed when it growled like an animal was dying inside of him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

In spite of everything, Jon could always make Tayce laugh no matter what the circumstances were. They grabbed a quick bite to eat at a restaurant, but had the food taken to go so they could relax at the hotel. It was so nice being in an actual hotel instead of a crummy motel. They really were living the high life. Tayce showered after they ate, changing into lime green boy cut panty shorts and a matching camisole, pulling her hair up.

She had a few things to go over in emails from Vince McMahon and other people associated with WWE. Jon would be making his way to WWE within 6 months they were guessing, so hopefully that time frame wasn't off. She also had to respond to the lady about the apartment building, informing her that they would only need one as long as it was a 2 bedroom. Jon plopped down beside her on the bed and Tayce closed the laptop, knowing he wanted to talk about something.

"What's on your mind, Mox?" She asked softly, giving him her undivided attention.

Jon frowned as he sat down, deciding now would be the best time to talk to Tayce about her change in attitude lately. "I was curious as to how you were doing." He chuckled when she lifted a brow at him. "Now don't get me wrong, you know I'm not the lovey-dovey chick flick type of guy. But I know that Sami was being a dick to you the night we left for my WWE contract signing. And I also know the last 2 months of trying to get shit in order he was a major dick to you then as well. I'm not entirely sure what all was going on between you two. I mean, I know you guys were getting it on, but I don't know the seriousness of it and you just…you've been my best friend my whole life and Sami too, but to me you come before anyone. Which is why I'm asking if you're okay. I may not give a fuck about myself or anyone else, but you matter to me and you should already know that. You have to know, if this developmental deal didn't include you, I wouldn't have taken it."

Sighing, Tayce lowered her eyes from Jon to stare at the comforter, knowing she couldn't tell him the truth about why she was fighting with Sami. Well, Tayce could partially tell him, she supposed. His words were so sweet and kind, it really made Tayce wonder if he was capable of having a relationship for more than a few months. It made her question everything, all of her doubts about Jon.

"He was mad that I went with you. He thinks I'm…wasting my time and that I deserve something better, something more in life. I told him flat out I would never leave your side, no matter what." Tears filled her eyes as Tayce recalled what happened between them and knew Jon didn't remember any of it. He thought he was with a whore instead of her. "You mean everything to me, Jon. I want you to know that. I could never walk away from you. Sami was angry with me because I chose you over him. I chose to go with you instead of staying in the Indies with him and I don't regret it. I made a vow when we were 16 and I'll never break it, not unless you physically push me away and tell me to get the fuck out of your life. I just wonder…" Tayce paused, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Why do I mean so much to you? I mean I get the whole friendship thing, but…why wouldn't you take a deal from the WWE if it didn't include me?"

Jon sighed heavily, mulling over that question because he'd been asking himself the same thing since Tayce left Cincinnati with him. "It may seem like I don't remember everything you did for me growing up, but I do. I remember all of it. The nights I stayed with you because my Mom was whoring herself out. The times I went on family vacations with you. Going to school together and protecting each other from idiots. I remember it all, Tayce. You are truly the one person I trust and can count on to stare me in the face, look me in the eye and never lie to me. You're always going to tell me the truth whether I want to hear it or not. You keep shit completely honest with me. You are the ONLY one I trust with anything in my life. You are my best friend and I honestly don't know where I'd be right now without you."

Not only had Tayce stuck by him throughout their childhood, but she'd seen him at his absolute worse. When Jon went to Puerto Rico for 6 months, he'd gotten heavy into drugs and started filling his body with junk, not having a care in the world for his health. Tayce hadn't left his side and had watched him go downhill, though he didn't do drugs in front of her. Jon could never do that. He would wait until she went to bed and then either do his drugs or sneak out to do them with friends he made in the promotion. If Tayce noticed anything, she kept it to herself and helped him through the withdrawals once they returned to the states. It was horrible, Jon hadn't felt pain like that in his life, not even going through pane sheets of glass in CZW.

But Tayce hadn't been completely honest with him about everything. She kept the fact she was irrevocably in love with him and had been for a long time. Years. He was the reason none of her other relationships ever worked out. He was the reason she agreed to leave Cincinnati and go on this amazing journey with him. There was no way she could just let him leave without her. The problem was Tayce would always be just a best friend in Jon's eyes, never anything else or anything more. She wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to stem these raw feelings and emotions for him without them being exploited.

"You'd be just fine without me. I'm the one who convinced you to let me go with you, remember? You didn't want me to come because you didn't know where you'd end up. And I refused to never see or hear from you again. I basically shoved my way into your wrestling career; you really had no choice and just accepted me being here. And I'm glad because I'd really hate always wondering where you were or what you were doing if you did keep me in Cincinnati. So I guess we both saved each other in a way." Tayce wiped a few stray tears away and gave herself a mental shake. "Enough with this sappy shit, we're best friends and I'm here with you until the bitter end. If Sami can't understand that, fuck him. And all I see ahead is bright blinding light and gold with your name on it. And that's all you need to focus on. You let me worry about everything else."

"Yes ma'am, boss lady." Jon chuckled, saluting her before he pushed off the couch and leaned over, kissing the top of her head. "Just for the record, I don't believe for a minute I would've made it this far without you. And I know at first I didn't want you to come with me, but it's only because, if I didn't make it, I didn't want you to be forced to live on the streets with me. I already know I would've never made it this far without you kicking my ass the whole time." He headed for his bedroom. "Me and you in the morning, girl. Apartments, let's pick one and get the fuck out of this place."

"You got it."

Tayce waited until Jon ventured into his room before heading out on the balcony, needing some fresh air. That was an intense conversation that she did not expect to have. It gave her concrete evidence though that Jon would never think of her as anything more than his best friend…his confidante. And it completely sucked. What if he brought some sleazy piece of ass to the apartment while she was there to fuck? Did Tayce really want to put herself through that?

"I can't abandon him. He needs me."

She jumped slightly when her cell phone rang and looked at the caller ID, frowning at the name flashing back at her. Did she really want to put up with this right now? Flipping it open, Tayce put the phone to her ear and closed her eyes, letting tears cascade down her cheeks.

"If you've called to rip me apart some more, Sami, save it."

"I miss you." Sami murmured quietly, staring up at the night sky in a park that he visited frequently. "I'm sorry about what I said. I just…I think I'm falling in love with you, Tayce."

"Bullshit." Tayce sniffled, her voice cracking. "What about Chrissy?"

"Over. She's engaged." Sami grunted, lighting up a cigarette and blew the smoke into the night air. "And instead of feeling miserable and heartbroken over it, I feel relief. That's how I know what I'm telling you is the truth. I love you, Tayce. I want you with me, not him."

"But I don't love you, Sami. Not the way you want me to. Not the way you need. I'm not what you're looking for. My heart belongs to him and there's nothing I can do about it. Where he goes, I go. He jumps, I jump. That's how it will always be and you deserve better than that. I'm sorry…" She whispered and could feel the pain radiating throughout every part of her body. "I'm stupid and I know it. I know he'll never feel anything for me and I know I'm punishing myself by staying with him. Hell, we're getting an apartment together for Christ sakes! Love makes a person do crazy unexplainable things."

"You can learn to love me if you try. If you really wanted to." Sami argued softly, refusing to be mean to her like he was last time. "I just don't understand what's so fucking special about Jon."

"Everything. Just…everything." Tayce whispered, gripping the balcony ledge tightly with her hand as the cool breeze blew over her. "He's all I ever want and nothing will change it. I had fun with you, I really did and I even contemplated leaving Jon for you. But at the end of the day, we both know I would've been miserable without him if I did that. And I would've made you miserable and we would've had a nasty breakup that ruined our friendship. So find someone else, Sami, and be happy. Because I'm a ruined woman and the only man I want I'm with, but can never have."

Sami pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned against the metal bar while he slowly twirled on the merry-go-round. "What happened?" He could hear the pain in her voice and was almost afraid to ask. "Talk to me, baby."

Chewing her bottom lip, Tayce contemplated if she should tell Sami what happened between her and Jon, feeling fresh tears slide down her cheeks. "The night we signed our WWE contracts, I…attacked Jon." She admitted, her body burning with shame and desire at the memory of tackling Jon to the bed. Even after 3 months, she could still feel his lips on hers, his hands on her body caressing in all of her intimate places. "We were drunk out of our minds because we were celebrating and I…kissed him. I tackled him to the bed, kissed him and one thing lead to another…"

Sami could feel his blood boiling, gritting his teeth, but he knew he had to maintain his composure. "Did you fuck him?" He asked bluntly, taking a long deep drag of his cigarette and flicked ash away.

"No."

"What stopped it?" Sami was shocked they hadn't slept together, but at the same time he felt relief course through him. Because he knew the moment Tayce finally did have sex with Jon, he'd never get her back.

"He passed out on me before we could…" Tayce trailed off, her voice lowering slightly and wiped the few tears away that managed to fall. "I hadn't realized how much he actually drank until he collapsed on me."

Sami had to bite his tongue from saying so many things because all of them would result in Tayce hanging up on him. He didn't want that to happen. When he was off the phone, Sami would have a good full-fledged laugh at Jon's expense. Jon was forever bragging about how big his dick was and how good he banged sluts for long periods of time, so hearing this definitely cheered him up. If Jon couldn't get it up in bed with Tayce, she would come crawling back to him and everything would be right in the world again.

"Something tells me that's not all you want to tell me." Sami pried, keeping the smugness out of his voice as much as he could, though he had an ear-splitting smile on his face.

Tayce swallowed hard, ignoring the tone of Sami's voice because quite frankly it didn't bother her as much as it should've. "The next day he told me he had a sex dream about…Trina Michaels…" She practically spat that whore's name out of her mouth, feeling sick at the memory. "Our kissing, touching, feeling…he thinks it was all HER and it was a DREAM."

Sami's eyes went wide as saucers, no longer finding this amusing because he knew Jon did have sex with Trina Michaels at least once. He called Sami bragging about it, especially how firm her fake tits were. Tayce didn't know anything about it though and Sami decided to take that secret to the grave. Granted, he could've used the information to pull Tayce back in his arms and bed, but Sami wouldn't sink that low. Jon was still one of his best friends, regardless if the man was as blind as a bat when it came to Tayce.

"Tay…"

"You don't have to say anything." She cut him off, shaking her head and felt completely drained emotionally, physically and mentally. "As far as I'm concerned, it was a mistake and it'll never happen again."

"So you're just going to stick by a man who would rather dream of a whore than remember being in bed with you?" Sami sounded incredulous.

"Yes. I have to go. I have a busy day tomorrow." She hung up before Sami could say another word and headed back inside, going straight to her room to cry herself to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Tayce hadn't been kidding when she woke Jon up at 8 AM to get him up and ready to look at apartments. She'd found a few of them to look at. Sometimes he felt like a grumpy child and acted like one. They finally found an apartment complex that was 3 seconds from the beach and extremely cheap, but didn't look trashy either. The agent let them look around by themselves for a few.

"I swear to god Tayce, if we don't take this place, I'm going outside and sleeping on the beach and officially becoming a beach bum. WWE will just have to deal."

"Hmm I don't know…" She drew that last word out, tapping her chin thoughtfully and pretended to contemplate if she agreed with him or not.

That made Jon get on his knees in front of her, clasping his hands together BEGGING her to agree with this apartment. Truth be told, Tayce absolutely loved the apartment and wanted it. Once again, the opportunity to screw with Jon arose and she couldn't pass it up.

"We do have one more apartment to look at, Mox…" She reminded him in a light scold and grunted when his massive arms wrapped around her waist, those big bluish grey puppy dog eyes gazing up at her pleadingly. Lord she couldn't say no to this man even if her life depended on it! "Alright FINE, when can we move in?"

"WOOHOO!" Jon yelled out, lifting Tayce up over his shoulder and spun her around in circles until she smacked him on the ass, threatening to puke on him. He noticed the agent was looking at them funny and leaned over, placing Tayce back on her feet. "What? It was a celebratory spin."

Jon walked over to look out the window as Tayce began talking with the agent about the rental agreement and move in date. He stood behind the agent mocking the lady and making faces that only Tayce could see. Sometimes he was a complete CHILD! Tayce was going to maim him when she got him alone, but until then he would continue to mess with her just like she did to him earlier.

Tayce would end up having a 2 bedroom apartment on the beach alone if Jon didn't stop his antics because she would end up killing him and dumping his body in the ocean! She tried like hell not to laugh at the faces he was making, ignoring them the best she could, but a few snickers slipped out. Somehow, someway she got the paperwork signed along with handing over first month's rent and deposit. They could move in whenever they wanted. Clearly, they needed some furniture, so Tayce took Jon by the ear and lead him out to the car.

"I'm going to kick your ass if you don't start acting your age!" She snapped, trying to sound stern, but the amusement shone through her amber eyes. Jon merely made another funny faces and Tayce smacked him on the arm, scowling. "Get in the damn car, we have shopping to do."

"Yes boss lady, right away, boss lady – anything you say, boss lady." That earned him another smack and Jon just chuckled hard. "You do know that doesn't hurt right?" He asked amusedly, bluish grey eyes twinkling. He leaned over as they stopped at a red like and smashed his lips against her cheek with a loud wet smack. "You are the shit. That was a great fucking deal and it's ours." Jon would be bouncing in his seat if Tayce didn't give him the stink eye already from the sloppy wet kiss. "Where to now?"

"MAN! Do you HAVE to slobber all over me?" Tayce groaned, wiping his saliva from her cheek and couldn't believe the way her body reacted to it. She really had to get a handle on her feelings for Jon before he found out and everything was destroyed. "We're going to the Ashley Furniture place in town to see if we can't find cheap stuff to fill the apartment with."

They needed EVERYTHING. It was a good thing they got paid and it was a nice chunk of change. Hopefully it would only cost a couple grand for what they needed, but Tayce doubted they would get away with it. Pulling into the parking lot, Tayce slid out of the SUV and walked inside with Jon after he flicked his cigarette away, not minding him grabbing her hand.

"We have to hurry because you have a rematch tonight against Colby Lopez."

"You know I like going against him. He's a fucking fast little shit in the ring. And we both definitely give each other a run for our money." Jon pursed his lips and made a face at the couch she was looking at. "If you buy that, I may kill myself." He stated, releasing her hand and walked away. The next couch was just as hideous as the first one. "Okay if you buy that, I'm going to kill myself and then I'm going to kill you." He chuckled when Tayce snorted out a laugh. "Oh Jesus Christ, doesn't anyone have any normal COMFORTABLE furniture? I just want a couch I could pass out and die happy on."

After a straight 30 minutes of Jon bitching about the lack of selection in Ashley's, they went to a different furniture store and found the perfect couch. It was black suede couch that was microfiber, very easy to clean and had a gothic style to it. Black would go with anything, so they both agreed that's the color they'd go with. They bought a matching chair to go with it and moved along to other furniture. Each got a bed, dresser and TV to go in their room, plus one for the living room.

Kitchen table and chairs, refrigerator, stove and small kitchen appliances, bathroom shower curtain along with other things they needed. They spent over 15 grand when all was said and done, going half and half with it. Jon tried paying for it all, but Tayce wasn't budging. They walked out satisfied because all of their stuff would be delivered that Wednesday when they were off thankfully. Tayce was glad Jon already had his wrestling gear with him because they had to go straight to the arena.

The first match of the night was Sophie Martini against Paige –her real name was Saraya-Jade Bevis- and the two of them didn't hesitate to go balls to the walls. Jon and Tayce sat down to watch it because Tayce was interested to see what Sophie could do in the ring. Even though she wasn't a wrestler herself, she knew everything about the business because she paid attention and knew the psychology. So when Corey Graves –his real name was Matt Polinsky- sprinted down to the ring and slid a chair into it for Saraya, the referee instantly called for a disqualification. It didn't matter though.

Sophie had gotten up and was clocked in the head with the chair from Saraya, crumbling to the mat in the middle of the ring. Her nose and mouth were bleeding profusely as Sophie rolled onto her side, trying to get to the edge of the ring to slide out of it. Colby Lopez was the first one to get to Sophie, catching her before she could roll off the edge of the ring onto the hard mats below. He whispered something in her ear and carefully scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to the back to see the trainer, Simon. He was going to maim Matt for jumping script, not to mention Saraya, shaking his head angrily.

All of a sudden, while Colby headed up the ramp with a bleeding Sophie, Roman Leakee's music spilled out of the speakers and the crowd erupted. His real name was Leati Joseph Anoa'i, but everyone called him Joe. He stood at 6'3 and weighed 265 pounds of pure muscle. He had long black hair that went past his shoulders, a black goatee that outlined his mouth perfectly and current murderous intentions coursing through his grey eyes. Joe and Sophie had their ups and downs since she started in developmental, but he refused to let these two jump script without any repercussions. He stopped briefly and nodded at Colby, worry flashing momentarily in his eyes. They both had an understanding for the moment and Joe suddenly turned his full attention to the ring.

Matt and Saraya boasted in the ring and were waiting for Joe to arrive, thinking he was out there to celebrate with them. How wrong they were. Stepping through the ropes, Joe sprung off of them and speared both of them at the same time to the mat, putting his full force into it, crushing their ribs. He had experience from football and knew exactly where to hit to make the spear count and HURT. Standing up, Joe stared hardening down at both of them and kicked each in the stomach, not caring that Saraya was a woman.

"Next time, don't jump script or I'll make sure you never walk again." He promised in a low sinister voice, flipping over the top rope landing on his feet and stalked to the back to check on Sophie.

The trainer, Simon, examined Sophie's nose and mouth. "Well luckily your nose isn't broken and none of your teeth are missing either. So either Saraya is just a really bad shot or she only hit you hard enough to make you bleed." Simon looked up at Celeste and Colby. "She's going to be okay you two. She's definitely got a mild concussion and she'll be sore as fuck tomorrow. Sorry sunshine, you're definitely done with wrestling for a week or so depending on how that concussion heals. I want to see you two out in the hall."

Sophie shook her head as she lay on her side staring at the door, holding the ice pack to her nose and watched as Colby and Celeste left with Simon. What a great way to celebrate a birthday. Mild concussion, loss of blood and a massive headache. Though on the plus side, she had gotten roses from her Uncle, who was WWE legend Rowdy Roddy Piper.

"One of you will have to stay with her tonight. She's going to need to be woken up every other hour and, if she starts to get nausea or anything, you get her ass to the emergency room immediately."

Celeste's head snapped up when Joe Anoa'i walked up to them. "What are you doing back here, Joe?" She asked confusedly.

"Came to check on Sophie." Joe stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He also overheard what Simon said regarding someone having to stay with the woman. "Colby has a match and so does Celeste. She needs to go back to her condo and rest now. I'll take her and watch over her tonight." He ignored both Colby and Celeste's gaping faces, his eyes not leaving Simon. "I know I'm not her biggest fan and she's got every right to tell me to fuck off, but what they did out there was bullshit. Pure fucking bullshit. I really hope Dusty and William fine them to hell and back." He growled, spitting venom because of how pissed off he was. Dusty was actually The American Dream Dusty Rhodes and William was William Regal. They ran the FCW organization together. "You two can't do it right now and by the time your matches are done, she'll have to go to the ER and really be hurting. Just let me help her, please."

When Sophie first arrived in FCW, Joe immediately judged her and treated her like trash. He wasn't sure why he did it either. With as badly as he treated her, Joe's feelings had also grown for the woman with a sharp tongue and fiery attitude. The moment he saw Matt Polinsky fly down to the ring with a chair and broke script, Joe had immediately come to her rescue as fast as he could. If Dusty and William wanted to fine him for helping her, he would gladly pay whatever fee they slapped on him.

Colby locked eyes with the big man. "I'm warning you right now: If you piss her off or hurt her in any way, I don't care how long it takes me I will kick the shit out of you. I don't care how big you are." It would be the only warning Colby would give and he really DIDN'T care how big Joe was or what family he came from. If he made Sophie cry tonight he silently vowed he would make Joe cry any way possible. "C'mon Cele."

Sophie had slowly gotten dressed into her jeans, t-shirt and a zip up hooded sweatshirt, slowly standing from the exam table. She heard the door open and didn't bother looking up. "Simon I'm ready to go home, can you just call me a cab?" She turned and stopped in her tracks at the sight of Joe Anoa'i standing there. "What – What are you doing here?"

Joe held his hands up in defense, grey eyes cool and calm. "I'm here to take you home." He stopped her from opening her mouth by pressing a gentle finger to her lips. "Just hear me out, okay? I saw what those assholes did to you and I took care of them. I'm pretty sure I crushed both the bitch's and Polinsky's ribs with a spear. I hope anyway. What they did to you was wrong and uncalled for. I know you don't like me and I understand it, but you have a concussion right now. You can't be alone tonight. Colby and Celeste both have matches and they'll be here late. So I volunteered to take you because, if you don't go with me, you'll end up being stuck here waiting for them to finish. You'll be uncomfortable, irritable and will want to rip their throats out because of how hard your head is pounding. So just let me help you and don't be stubborn about it."

"My head is screaming at me right now, so I really don't care who or what takes me home. I could be riding on a donkey to Bethlehem to give birth to a kid in a manger and I wouldn't know the difference right now." Sophie followed him after Simon gave her a few more ice packs. Her hand stayed on the wall to steady herself as she followed Joe. She got halfway to the backdoor before she stopped and leaned against the wall, looking up at him. "Why are you suddenly being nice? I don't get you."

"You really wanna have this conversation right now?" Joe grunted, sighing when she raised a brow and wrapped an arm around her waist so she could steady against him instead of the wall. "Don't fight me, I won't hurt you." He whispered in her ear, feeling her relax almost instantly and inwardly smiled, guiding her outside to his SUV. "I honestly don't know why I'm being nice to you. I don't get myself either, trust me. I've been trying to stay away from you and I can't seem to do it. Now I found myself defending you tonight. Makes zero sense to me, if you've got the answers please tell me because I'm clueless why I'm doing this."

Joe helped her up into his SUV and Sophie watched him walk around the front of the vehicle to get inside after he threw her bag in the back. Sophie laughed slightly. "Well you're the one doing this. If you don't have the answers, then who does?" A pain zinged through her head as she reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his t-shirt. "No never mind. I don't care. I'll stop asking stupid questions if you'll just make the pain stop." Sophie pulled her legs up in the seat. "I'm sorry if I get your seats dirty with my shoes. I'll pay to have them cleaned and detailed." She rest her head against her knees, but never released the grip she had on the sleeve of his t-shirt.

Joe pulled over on the side of the road and reached over, gingerly touching her temples with his fingers, rubbing soothingly. He knew her head had to be killing her and wanted to maim Paige and Polinsky for doing this. Sophie didn't deserve it. Hell, she didn't deserve a lot of things that had been happening to her lately. When he felt Sophie begin to sag, Joe knew he was putting her to sleep and had to stop what he was doing. He also had to keep her awake.

"Sophie? Sophie, you gotta stay up, we're almost there. Sophie!" When yelling at her didn't even work, Joe did the only other thing he could think of and lifted her chin with his strong hand, his mouth covering hers.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jon stood in the dressing room with Tayce in his wrestling gear, scowling and grumbling at the monitor. "I see no reason for those jug heads to jump script." He shook his head. "Isn't that the girl who invited you over to her place? Um Sophie something, right?" Jon questioned, watching his opponent for the night carry the bleeding girl backstage.

"Yeah, I hope she's alright." Tayce murmured, concern filling her eyes for the sweet woman that welcomed her and Jon with open arms to the company.

Jon bounced on the balls of his feet to get his adrenaline pumping through him. "Come on, boss lady walk with me to the curtain."

It was as if nothing changed from being in the Indies to coming to the WWE. Granted, they hadn't made it to the big leagues yet, but it was only a matter of time. Jon was the most talented man on the FCW roster and soon everyone would see it. Tayce was biased though. Lacing their fingers together, she walked him to the curtain rubbing his arm because she could feel the nerves coming from Jon. They would soon disappear once he was in front of the crowd a few times.

"You got this. Now go kick some ass." They bumped fists like always and Tayce kissed his forehead, smacking him on his ass just before he went out. It made it tense and therefore the ladies swooned, including her.

Jon was EXHAUSTED. To say he was bushed would be a complete understatement. He'd never worked so hard in the ring before. Colby Lopez was not out there to mess around. But that was fine because neither was Jon. They had both shown each other they were there for the duration and were both pushing for the same goal – making it to WWE's main roster. That was probably one of the most amazing 15 minute matches of Jon's career by far. The way the wrestlers took each other to the limit was astounding. When Jon stumbled through the curtain, Tayce was right there to catch him as always, seeing how physically exhausted he was.

"I got you, Mox." She whispered, looking up as Colby came through the curtain moments after Jon and smiled softly up at him.

"He alright?" Colby asked, looking exhausted as well as his entire body had a fine sheen of sweat caked on it.

Tayce nodded, looking up at Jon. "He's tough, he'll be just fine." She assured him and used her free hand to extend it to Colby. "I'm Tayce Stevens, Jon's personal assistant. Nice to finally meet you, Colby."

Colby couldn't help feeling completely at ease with the golden auburn beauty and wondered if she'd ever consider being a wrestler herself. She'd kill it in the ring and had all the sex appeal in the world. Though not as much as his girlfriend, Celeste. Her in-ring name was Kaitlyn.

"You too. Good match out there, man. You really are a tough son of a bitch." He shook Jon's hand and went on his way, needing to go check on Sophie.

Tayce stopped Colby before he could fully walk away, not letting Jon go. "How is she?"

Colby smiled grimly. "She has a concussion, but she'll live. She's a tough son of a bitch too. I'm going to check on her right now."

"Please keep me informed and if you need anything, here's my number." She handed him a piece of paper with her cell number on it and walked away with Jon.

Jon walked back to the locker room and showered, feeling considerably better afterwards, but still completely exhausted. "Boss lady, we need food. I'm either really hungry or I'm getting a tapeworm."

He chuckled once he finished dressing in his jeans and t-shirt. He'd kept the door open so he could talk with Tayce. There was a rule that the ladies and men couldn't go into each other's locker rooms, but Jon always talked with Tayce while he was dressing, so he kept the door open. He walked out of the locker room about 20 minutes later, ready to get the hell out of dodge.

"What do we want to do for dinner woman?" He smiled down at Tayce. "He called me a tough son of a bitch. He has no clue."

"Be nice, he gave you a compliment. Lord." Tayce muttered, shaking her head as they headed out of the locker room with Jon's hand on the small of her back. "You are right though, he doesn't have a clue just how tough you really are. That was a great match tonight. They'll be calling you up to the big leagues in no time, Mox." She winked, the warm night air blowing over them as soon as they stepped outside. Tayce pulled some smokes out and lit one up, needing a nicotine fix as much as Jon did.

"I know he was complimenting me. It was nice to get one from someone who came up in the Indies too." It had been a while since he smiled over good news and couldn't wipe it off of his face if he tried.

"Oh I made sure the apartment allowed smoking, but we did have to pay a fee for it. I got the email confirmation today from the landlord. Hopefully in 2 days, we'll be in our own place instead of a hotel."

"I can't wait to be out of that god forsaken hotel. Don't get me wrong, it's fucking a thousand times better than those shitty rat and roach infested motels, but we just need a place to call home. We haven't honestly had a place like that in a long time." Jon leaned down and accepted the lit smoke from her fingers. He inhaled and took in the nicotine into his body, sighing in contentment. "I don't give a shit how much the smoking fee is. I'll pay it I don't care. Smoking in bed is a vice I will NEVER give up. Smoking in my OWN bed is a million times better."

Why oh why did this man have to mention the word bed and smoking in the same damn sentence? Tayce's mind went directly in the gutter and she had to hide it. Once they were in the rental car, Tayce took another drag of her cigarette and didn't drive off right away, instead looking straight ahead.

"Jon, you do realize that this is going to be our home, right? It won't be just yours. So I want you to make a promise to me. I want you to promise me that if you find someone who you feel you want to have a relationship with for whatever reason that you'll tell me. You won't be afraid to tell me if you need us to part ways. And don't say it can't happen because it can. And I'll make the same promise to you. That way we're not in an awkward place if one or both of us finds someone special." The thing was Tayce already found all those qualities and more in Jon, and they were going to live together, but they weren't TOGETHER.

"I'm not looking for shit right now, Tayce. You should know that better than anyone else. I'm not trying to fuck up my career before I make it to the big leagues. I'm perfectly content with my - OUR new apartment and my best friend by my side. If you want to bring someone home and fuck them senseless, just tell me to hit the bricks and I'll disappear for a few hours so you can bump and grind." He chuckled at the face she made. "Far be it from me to deprive you of a good ol' fucking."

"I highly doubt that'll happen." She muttered, starting the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot, heading back to the hotel for hopefully the final time for a while. "Same goes for you. I know you have needs too, so just tell me when you're going on a date and I'll either put my ear buds in to drown you out or I'll leave and go to Sophie's. She told me I could come there if I needed to get away." She informed him softly, stopping at a red light and jumped slightly when Jon grabbed her hand, looking up into his eyes. "I've been with you for a long time now, so I don't see myself needing a getaway anytime soon. Don't worry, I was just trying to set some boundaries because I know things are bound to happen. You know me, everything has to be perfect."

Jon shook his head. "We'll figure out the boundaries as we go. And don't worry so much, everything is perfect right now. It's been perfect for a while. I just don't want you going anywhere because I've been a bear towards you. You know I've got my off days, my ticks and if I start being an unmanageable asshole, just kick me in the ass and get me squared back around. You've been the most important person in my life since we met. No one else means shit to me and you know it. We will figure shit out as we go. But like I said, I ain't fucking with anyone until I get my career completely on track."

"But what if…?" Tayce trailed off, not sure how to ask him this without spilling her own feelings. "What if you had a woman who was completely in love with you, who would do anything for you? What if you had that and you just didn't realize it? I can't be the only important person in your life, Jon. You have to learn to trust someone besides me eventually. Just…keep that in mind, okay?"

"Who the hell would be dumb enough to love me? I'm nobody special boss lady. I'm just a guy trying to make it in the wrestling business and have been for quite a few years. Things seem to be looking up though huh?" She nodded, squeezing his hand gently to let him know she was listening. "If I have to stay single the rest of my life so I don't lose my best friend, so be it. Whoever loves me has to love you too, no matter what. It's my only rule and NO ONE is breaking it. I don't give a fuck who they are."

The subject was closed after that as they drove the rest of the way to the hotel in silence. Tayce cut the ignition and slid out, grabbing her bag while Jon got his, both of them heading inside to go up to their suite. Before Tayce could go into her room, Jon stopped her by grabbing her hand and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. She knew she scared him with what she said, but Tayce was never one to sugarcoat anything and was completely honest with him…besides her feelings. Tightening her arms around his waist, Tayce buried her face in his chest and breathed his scent in, closing her eyes as his fingers ran through her hair.

She was dumb enough to love him. It broke Tayce's heart that Jon thought he was unlovable because that was far from the truth. Holding her close like this, Tayce just fell deeper and knew she'd have the bruise to prove it. What was she going to do? Jon refused to lose her friendship, but Tayce wanted more than that from him. She wanted to be with him, to show him that somebody did love and care about him. The problem was Tayce was too chicken shit to admit her feelings to him and the longer she stuck beside him, the stronger they'd get. "Same here." She murmured quietly, knowing she'd probably end up growing old and grey without getting married or having kids because Jon was the only man she would ever want.

"So I guess you're stuck with me for a while. So I hope you don't mind being stuck with me for the duration of your life." He dropped a soft kiss on her head. "Speaking of smoking in bed..." Jon leaned down and tossed Tayce over his shoulder as he chuckled, jogging into the bedroom plopping her on the bed, joining her. It was almost like a nightly ritual. He lit a smoke. "We need to do this every night, girl. It's always a good relaxation smoking in bed with you."

"MAN, I have to be stuck with you THAT long? Somebody shoot me now." Tayce joked, laughing at the hurt look on Jon's face and tapped his nose with her finger. "Of course I don't mind because you are stuck with me for the duration of your life for sure. I'm just glad I'm good for something." She retorted, taking the cigarette from his mouth and took a deep drag of it, slipping it back between his lips. "You do realize that people normally do something like this after sex right?" She smirked when his eyebrow quirked and giggled, shrugging. "Just a random thought, you know how I am."

"Tayce, you're good for everything in my life. I'm still not sure where I'd be without you." He stretched out and moved around until his head was in her lap. "You can only have a smoke after sex if you're actually HAVING sex. I'm not sure what that is anymore." Jon rolled his eyes at the saddened look that came over her face. "I'll just molest myself in the shower and I'll be good for the day. At least if I scream no, I can't really get rape charges brought against me." He laughed and felt her fingers glide through his curly hair, holding the cigarette out for her again to get another drag from it.

"Can't rape the willing, just remember that."

Tayce let the smoke filter from her mouth and nose, never stopping her fingers from going through his hair. She loved doing this. God why couldn't he remember? Why did he have to pass out on her? Did fate really hate her that much? Her entire body screamed at her to just make a move, another move, but Tayce refused. She couldn't be rejected for a second time, even though Jon passing out technically wasn't a rejection. But he did think she was Trina Michaels, that filthy disgusting whore and that immediately made her libido calm down. Stubbing the cigarette out when they were both finished with it, Tayce stroked Jon's hair until he fell asleep. She carefully extracted herself from him, covering him up with a blanket and kissed his forehead feather lightly.

"I love you, Jon. I wish I could tell you how I feel." She whispered, completely sure he was asleep and wouldn't hear what she said. Tayce walked out, closing the door gently behind her and went to take a much needed shower, wondering how much longer she would be able to hold out on her feelings for Jon.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A month went by and everything was going great for Jon.

Being moved into an actual apartment that they called home was an amazing feeling, though Tayce's heart wasn't in it. Jon kept asking her if everything was alright and she just waved him off, simply saying she was fine. That was a big fat lie if she'd ever heard one! No she wasn't fine. Tayce had stopped going into Jon's room to stroke his hair or to talk and mainly kept to herself. It was bad enough she had to breathe him in every single freaking time she woke up and went to sleep. He was everywhere.

Tayce and Sophie had become fast friends, talking about anything and everything except the men in their lives. That subject was off-limits. Tayce needed some Jon-free air and decided to take Sophie up on her offer to stay at the condo for a few days to clear her head. She had to do something before she ended up attacking Jon and spilling the truth about how she really felt. Walking down the hallway, Tayce spotted Sophie talking to Colby and Kaitlyn, walking up to them.

"Hey guys, do you mind if I snag this lovely lady off for a minute to talk to her?" Tayce asked politely from behind, smiling and accepted a hug from Sophie. "I promise I won't be more than 5 minutes and you can have her back."

It had been a month since Sophie had gotten hurt in the ring and she actually spent the night sleeping on Joe's chest. She just wasn't really sure how to respond to it. He didn't leave her side for a second that night, making sure to wake her up every other hour just to be on the safe side. They would have small conversations when they found themselves in the gym late at night with no one around, but other than that she honestly didn't know what the hell to say to him. The kiss had shocked her awake, but that was all that came of it. It was simply a tactic to keep her awake since she had a concussion, nothing more.

"I'll be right back guys and then we can hit the gym. I've been eating too much of my cooking lately and the treadmill called me a fat ass yesterday." Sophie laughed as she walked away with Tayce. As soon as they were far enough away, Sophie could see the look in Tayce's eyes. "Let me guess, you're in desperate need for the girl's weekend that I've been trying to convince you of, but you keep denying so much." She shook her head. "Jon must've really gotten under your skin."

"W-What?" Tayce stammered, trying to play dumb and failed miserably, lowering her amber eyes from knowing blues. "Damn it, is it THAT obvious?" She leaned against the wall, pulling a hand through her golden auburn hair. And here Tayce thought she hid her attraction and love for Jon well. Apparently not! "Please don't say anything." She whispered, looking up at Sophie with tears burning in her eyes. Sophie instantly pulled her into a tight hug and Tayce accepted it fully, needing some kind of support. She pulled back after a minute and wiped a few stray tears away, sniffling. "I just need one night to talk. I know you're busy and everything, so just let me know when you can do it. I don't trust a lot of people, but I do trust you and I desperately need someone to talk to about him. And you can tell me anything too, I'll take it to my grave."

Sophie smiled softly and hugged the woman once more. "No worries, I just went grocery shopping so I'll make some homemade pizza, s'mores and we'll talk, bitch, complain and swoon over the idiots who have our hearts, but don't exactly know it yet." Sophie winked and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "I only have a promo tonight and then the weekend off, so if you want too we can leave after my promo and get started. Just make sure Jon can make it without you for 48 hours and we can get our relaxation on."

She knew how important Jon and Tayce's friendship was. They'd gotten so close that Sophie could see the signs of Tayce being head over heels for her best friend. She just hoped she didn't show the signs of having a thing for Joe and she'd be alright.

"I'll text you in a bit. I'm going to go jog it out."

"Thanks again, Soph. I owe you one."

They hugged one last time and Tayce watched her take off to the workout room, feeling a little relieved. The moment Sophie entered the arena gym, Joe looked up as soon as the scent of gardenias entered his nostrils, a soft groan escaping his lips. Sophie. It had to be her. She was the only one who had that intoxicating scent to her whenever she was in the vicinity. He continued pumping iron and shot a wink over at her followed by a small smile. Joe was close to getting a call up to the big leagues, it was only a matter of time. He glanced over at Sophie, seeing her start the treadmill and felt his shorts tighten a little, grunting. Maybe he could convince Sophie to see a movie with him this weekend since they were off.

Sophie gave Joe a soft smile as she stepped on the treadmill next to Celeste. Sophie pushed her ear buds into her ears and hit her normal workout music, trying to keep the fact Joe was across the room lifting weights completely bare from the waist up out of her mind. God help her she was going to hell in a hand basket. Sophie was best friends with Joe's older brother, Matt, -he had been in the WWE as part of the tag team 3 Minute Warning as the wrestler Rosey- who had gone back in Pensacola with their parents, Patricia and Sika. Since Sika was having knee surgery for an old injury, Matt reassured her he'd be back on his feet in no time at all.

Joe had thought for a long time that Sophie and Matt had a thing for each other, which helped fuel his issues with Sophie. Then he heard about her and Matt Polinsky having a fling and Joe started thinking she was nothing more than a whore trying to sleep her way to the top of WWE developmental. Matt had finally pulled him aside one night and explained that there was never anything with Sophie, though he admitted he wished there was. She just didn't see him as anything more than a best friend/brother type. That eased Joe a little, but the situation with Matt still bugged him. Then there was also the fact her Uncle was WWE Hall of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper.

She watched as Joe sat up and a bead of sweat slid down his Adam's apple between his collar bones down the middle of his chest and across his well-defined abdominal muscles. Sophie couldn't help wishing her tongue could follow that bead of sweat. Joe felt her eyes boring into him and smirked, increasing the tempo on his weightlifting just to drive Sophie mad. He knew it was working. He was sneaky with his ogling, but not her. Definitely not. This wasn't the first time Sophie undressed him with her eyes and it wouldn't be the last. He did the last of his reps and racked the bar, standing up walking over to her. Kaitlyn and Colby had already taken off for their matches, so it was just the two of them in the room alone.

"You know it's really difficult for me to work out when I have a certain someone, who shall remain nameless, eye-fucking me across the room." He stated in a low husky voice, grey eyes blatantly devouring her before finally landing on her crimson cheeks and beautiful blue eyes.

Sophie could feel her cheeks as they heated up. "I wasn't exactly eye-fucking you per say. Just enjoying watching the way your muscles were moving." That was a blatant lie, but it was her lie and she would tell it however she wanted. "And since when do you get shy when you're working out? It never bothered you before when I would watch you. What now all of a sudden you're going to get all introverted on me?" Joe started to walk away when Sophie hopped off the treadmill. "Hey Joe…" He stopped, watching as she walked over and stood in front of him. "I never thanked you for staying with me when I had that concussion. You didn't have to do that, but I really did appreciate it." She pushed up on her toes and softly kissed his cheek. "I have to go do my promo. I'll catch you later big guy."

As if she couldn't screw with him anymore, she let her index finger slide down his chest, popping it into her mouth and winked at him. She turned and left as they played her entrance music so she could do her promo in the middle of the ring. If Joe could mess with her, she could definitely do it back. Joe could not believe she just did that and looked down at his chest. That single spot where she swiped some sweat away with her finger burned like crazy. He reached up to touch it and could only stand there watching her walk away. Sophie was lucky he didn't snatch her ass up and make her miss her promo.

**~!~**

Tayce felt like she might have a panic attack.

She thought about having to tell Jon about going to Sophie's for the weekend and cringed, chewing her bottom lip. Would he feel abandoned? Would he feel unwanted? It would only be for a weekend and Jon had befriended both Colby and Joe in the past month. Maybe they could all have a guy's night out or something. Tayce took a deep breath and headed back to Jon's locker room, hoping she was doing the right thing. And of course Jon had to be in just a towel fresh out of the shower as soon as she walked through the damn door.

"Hey, I need to talk to you about something for a second. I know you have a match tonight, but this can't wait."

Jon knew something was going on with Tayce, he just couldn't put his finger on it. He didn't care how much she denied it, he wasn't stupid. She'd been his best friend practically his whole life. He always knew when something was bothering her, but since she hadn't said anything to him and he'd even asked several times and she still denied it, he had been smart enough to drop it. Well he would drop it until he would see Tayce suffering from whatever it was and then he would make her talk. She was just as stubborn as he was, sometimes worse. But Jon would make her talk it out if he had to. He looked up as she approached him and asked to talk, nodding.

"Of course. What's up, boss lady?"

"Sophie has asked me a couple times if I wanted to hang out at her condo for the weekend, but we had a lot going on. Now that things have settled down, I'm taking her up on her offer. So, I won't be home this weekend. Will you be okay? You have my cell and, if you really need me for whatever reason, I'm a hop, skip and jump away. You always come first. So if you don't want me to go, speak now." Tayce lied again and felt awful about it, hiding it the best she could. "Maybe you can go out with the guys and have some fun since you've become friends with Colby and Joe. I think it'd be good for you."

Jon shook his head. "Nah I'll be good alone or with the boys. You need to have some of your – whatever chick time. I'm good with that. Just be sure to text me every once in a while and let me know you're okay and completely safe. Don't make me worry about you."

Jon liked Sophie. When he got to know her, he realized they had a somewhat similar crappy childhood. She was completely down to earth and he knew her and Tayce being friends would be a GREAT thing.

"Have a little fun, okay?" He kissed the top of her head. "I'll see you when you get back and I won't destroy the apartment…or I'll try not to." He winked at her and walked away.

Tayce watched him walk out the door and immediately felt tears slide down her cheeks, covering her mouth with her hand. What the hell did she just do? She promised to never leave Jon's side and here she was trying to get away from him! Tayce could tell Jon was upset about her being away for the weekend, but was trying like hell not to show it. They hadn't been apart since Jon decided to do this wrestling gig. She immediately left the locker room to track Sophie down, having a sudden change of heart.

"I can't go." She blurted out, trembling slightly. "I can't leave him, I'm sorry…"

Sophie grabbed her hands gently. "Calm down, Tayce. Look, it's not imperative that we spend the entire weekend together. If you want, we can do one day and go from there. I've gotten to know Jon since you guys have been here and believe me, all he wants is you to be happy. And if spending a night with a friend makes you happy, it will make him happy." Sophie wiped the stray tears from Tayce's eyes. "Look, go talk to Jon. I'm sure he will tell you the same thing I did. He's not completely unreasonable and you should know that. You guys have been best friends for so long and you only had each other to count on. But you've got me and Celeste now while Jon's got Joe and Colby. The boys will take very good care of him when you can't."

Sophie made everything better somehow and Tayce was grateful for it. She didn't want to talk to Jon about any of this because then he'd start questioning why she was so upset to begin with. And that subject was definitely not up for discussion. So Tayce kept her plans with Sophie, waiting for the woman to finish showering and whatnot in her dressing room. Jon's match had already happened so Tayce could take off, already having a packed bag in hand. They walked out of the arena with Sophie trying to get Tayce to laugh about what she did to Joe earlier in the workout room.

"Are you for real?" Tayce giggled uncontrollably while Sophie drove to the condo. "Oh my god, I would've PAID to see the look on his face!" Once the laughter died down, Tayce decided to get a little serious. "So how long have you been in love with Joe?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sophie's giggling ceased immediately at Tayce's question. "Apparently it is that obvious huh?" When Tayce nodded, Sophie groaned audibly. "I've been trying to hide it and I thought I was doing a good job of it, but apparently not if you noticed. "I have a gift to fuck with people mentally. Joe's been screwing with me since I got here and we're finally on a somewhat same page, but there's no chance in hell that he would ever want a regular relationship with me. Sex sure, but I can't do casual sex. My heart and brain get mixed signals and then pretty soon I'm falling for the guy and he's back pedaling because he doesn't want anything serious and I'm not putting myself through that with Joe."

"Can't say I blame you there. Hell, I can't even get up the courage to tell Jon how I feel. How I've felt for him since we were teenagers." Tayce turned her head to stare out the window. "He thinks he's not capable of being loved, but he is. I love him more than anyone on this planet. I'd do anything for him. Hell, I gave up a great guy to come here with him. I've sacrificed everything in my life for him, if that's not love I don't know what the fuck is. And he just doesn't see it because of how he grew up. His mother was really fucked up, to put it mildly, and really screwed up Jon's way of thinking regarding women. So naturally, he just doesn't see how I feel for him and he never will. And I'll end up being in love and pining for someone who will never realize it. Nice huh?"

"Yeah, Jon told me a little bit about her. We were sharing shitty family stories one night while we were working out together. I like that he's so easy to talk too." She looked at Tayce. "But don't think I'd ever say a word to anyone about what he said to me in confidence because I wouldn't. There are enough rumors flying around about me that I would never dare spread secrets that aren't mine to tell."

Sophie was completely honest she would never say a word. She couldn't believe she was actually missing Joe. What the hell was wrong with her?

They arrived at the condo and Sophie had stuck by her word, making homemade pizza, which smelled incredible.

"You're lucky because Jon never trusts people easily as he has you, Joe and Colby. He's still a little leery about Celeste, but he's slowly warming up to her." She took a bite out of the pizza and groaned, amber eyes closing. "Oh my god, that is heavenly! Holy shit woman, have you ever thought of opening up your own restaurant?" Jon would DIE if he tasted this pizza because it was even better than his favorite place, which was located in Chicago. "I think you need to talk to Joe about what's going on and set some boundaries. Aren't you dating his brother Matt?" When Sophie choked on her wine momentarily, Tayce couldn't help laughing, covering her mouth. "Sorry!"

Sophie's eyes widened as soon as the question came out of Tayce's mouth, nearly spewing her wine all over. She grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth. "Oh my god, no! Matt and I were trained by his father. There's nothing there – well I know Matt's got a crush on me, but he knows I don't feel that way about him. He said he'd rather have me in his life as a friend then not at all. So our friendship just seems to work great." She sighed softly. "And I would tell Joe, but there's no way he feels the same way I feel about him. He even said he wanted sex. Sex is sex, it's nothing else and I already know I wouldn't be able to keep my feelings in check, so I'll just have to leave it alone."

"Look, this isn't any of my business, but I've seen the way Joe looks at you. He wants more than just sex, it's obvious. I don't think he really knows how to come clean about how he feels though. He's a man, you gotta remember. They are stubborn, bull-headed and refuse to admit their feelings openly unless they're gay. And even then it's slim to none." They shared a small laugh. "Seriously though, you need to talk to Joe. Clearly he likes you more than he's willing to admit or else he would've ignored you after you turned him down for sex. Maybe that was just his way of testing you to make sure you weren't what people have called you. Men are fickle creatures, honey. Trust me, I've been with the ficklest for the past almost 10 years."

Sophie knew Tayce was telling the truth, guys were stubborn, bullheaded and fickle all at the same time. But she wasn't going confront Joe, there was no way she would do that. Rejection was the killer of all hearts and she refused to let herself be screwed with. She already knew if Joe rejected her and she found out this whole time he'd been screwing with her, she wouldn't be able to hack it. That would be a pain she wouldn't be able to recover from.

**~!~**

After his workout, Joe showered and headed out of the gym, raising a brow at the sight of Jon waiting for him in the hallway. "What's up man?" He greeted, shaking hands with Jon and began walking with him down the hallway. "You look like something's on your mind."

Jon shook his head. "How the fuck are you supposed to get a woman to talk to you? They are stubborn as fuck sometimes. Maybe I don't have enough experience with them or some shit. But God damn it; if something is wrong just tell me. I'm not psychic." Jon chuckled. "Women! Stubborn asses aren't they all."

"You don't know the half of it." Joe muttered, swiping hair from his forehead and arrived in his locker room, sitting down on a steel folding chair, waiting for Jon to take a seat as well. "This is about Tayce, isn't it?" It was more of a statement than a question. "Bro, are you blind or just plain stupid?" He stated bluntly, folding his arms in front of his chest. "You really don't see it do you? You don't see just how much that woman loves you. Hell, a BLIND man can see it! She's in love with you, man. So let me guess she ran away with Sophie to get away for a few days, right? And now you're trying to figure out why when the answers are right fucking in front of you."

Had Joe hit his head too hard? "Tayce? In love with me? Bro, when was the last time you took a chair shot to the head? There is NO way on god's green earth Tayce is in love with me. Dude, she's been my best friend for fucking YEARS. A blind man is a blind man and they don't see shit." Jon chuckled, continuing to shake his head negatively. "No way – No freaking fucking way. No women love me. I'm not the type of guy women fall in love with. Not now, not ever." There was no way Tayce was in love with him.

Jon was Mr. Denial at this point and Joe could see the apprehension on the man's face. "Why don't you just flat out ask her if she is? Prove me wrong. You might be surprised by what you find out if you take the leap." He stood up, clapping him on the shoulder and walked over to his bag to grab his wrestling trunks out of it. "But I'm telling you right now, that woman is in love with you. Deny it all you want, there is a woman out there who is in love with you, whether you want it or not."

"Tayce is my best friend. I would never ask her such a stupid question." Jon shook his head. "Oh yea? And how about you and the Italian dish that Colby and your brother are so fond of?" Jon stood up. "You seem to be getting awfully chummy with the 'princess' as you used to love to call her. Now you guys are exchanging longing looks and sexual innuendos, when you used to exchange insults. Why are you suddenly trying to hone in on your brother's girl?"

"Because Sophie doesn't feel the same way about him as she does me. They are just friends, I'm not stupid. I know exactly what Matt is doing. He can say they are together all he wants, but until I see actual proof of it happening, she's fair game. And truth be told, I am better looking than my brother."

Joe smirked, having a healthy dose of ego and folded his arms in front of his chest. Matt had mentioned taking Sophie out to movies, dinners and whatnot, making it sound like they were on dates, but he knew better. Why would Sophie eye-fuck him across the workout room if she was dating his brother? Matt was an idiot.

"You're just a chicken shit and refuse to see the truth, but that's fine. Keep being blind and watch what happens. Because sooner or later, Tayce is going to spill how she feels about you. She's going to find that one guy that will treat her like a queen and leave you high and dry. That's how they are, man. You either give her what she wants or you will lose her, friendship or not."

"We haven't been apart in years. We go everywhere together, we do everything together. She's been with me through everything. She's not going anywhere. And yeah Sophie might feel different for you and Matt, but I've seen the way she looks at the both of you. I'm not so sure her feelings for Matt are friendly, just like her feelings for you are less than friendly as well. She's a sweet gal to talk to. It's just astounding that she came out on top of everything she had to deal with growing up."

Jon could tell Sophie had it big for Joe. In his words, a blind man could see it. Now Joe was jealous. He didn't know anything about Sophie's background and could only imagine what she'd been through. He heard through the grapevine that her father was a dick and didn't even call her on her birthday. The man deserved to be put six feet under for hurting his daughter and, if Joe ever met him, he'd do it without thinking twice.

"Well we're on the opposite sides of the fence when it comes to the women in our lives. I'm telling you though, she's in love with you. I'll make you a deal. You talk to Tayce and confront her about her feelings for you that you don't believe she has and I'll tell Sophie how I really feel about her. I'll even videotape it if you want." Joe extended his hand, grey eyes completely serious. "What do you gotta lose besides your pride, Jon?"

Joe had lost his mind. "I'm not going to do that to Tayce. And I'm definitely not going to do something that might upset her or piss her off." It was ridiculous for anyone to believe that Tayce had a thing for him. Friendship was friendship, it wasn't love, lust or whatever. And he wasn't going to do something stupid to make him lose his best friend.

"Tell you what, how about we hang out for the weekend? Colby told me Celeste is going out of town to go see her parents, so he's going to be alone for the weekend too." Joe suggested, deciding to drop the Tayce subject with Jon for the time being. It was obviously a sore subject for him. "We can even hang out at your place if you want."

Jon thought it over for all of 3 seconds and agreed, not minding hanging out with Joe and Colby. He had recently bought a PS3 and Xbox 360 with a ton of games. On the way to Jon's from the arena, Joe stopped at a liquor store and bought 3 bottles of everything they had, one for each of the guys. Then he added some snacks to the mix so they wouldn't end up with alcohol poisoning. He sent a text to Colby letting him know what the plans were and Colby was in full agreement with everything.

So that's what the men did. While the girls soaked up some much needed vitamin D, swam and had a blast, minus Celeste, the guys blew each other up on Call of Duty and other video games. Colby tried getting Jon to talk about his feelings regarding Tayce, but was shut down at every turn. Somehow though, Joe had a feeling they'd gotten underneath Jon's skin because he kept sending text messages to Tayce. Some asked if she was alright and others were was she having fun. Joe wasn't any better, though he couldn't text Sophie because they weren't nearly as close as Jon and Tayce were.

During one night of the drinking binge, Jon confessed some of his darkest days that Tayce had to be involved with. His drug abuse in Puerto Rico and he even admitted to still having cravings for it once in a blue moon. It was natural, even after all this time. Jon would never do it again though because he swore to Tayce he wouldn't. And when Jon kept a promise to her, he always managed to keep it somehow, someway. His promises were sacred to her just as hers were to him. Joe and Colby were shocked by Jon's drug abuse past, but they didn't really comment on it.

The past was the past after all.

The last night they spent together, Joe finally came clean about how he felt for Sophie. Somehow, the princess had weaseled her way into his heart and there was no getting her out. Colby crowed and shouting 'knew it' while Jon just smirked smugly at him. Joe was tempted to wipe the smirk off his face, but decided against it. Besides Colby and Jon, Joe didn't trust anyone else in the developmental program. He had a feeling he would have lifelong friendships with these two men and didn't realize just how right on the money he was with that thought.

Weekend binge drinking definitely didn't agree with Joe and he felt like a Mack truck had run him down going 100 miles an hour. He drank heavily with both Jon and Colby, all of them sitting on the beach outside of Jon's apartment building. Of course, they kept a low profile and didn't cause a ruckus, not as much as they could've. Colby had an apartment down the road with Celeste and Joe lived by himself, which wasn't a big surprise. They talked about the ladies in their lives and Joe came to the conclusion he had to talk to Sophie about what was going on with them. Because if she really wanted to be with Matt, she had to tell him now before anything else transpired between them.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Tayce felt rejuvenated and much better after her weekend full of eating delicious food, drinking and laughing. It'd been such a long time since she did something like that with another woman instead of Jon. She would definitely have to do it again with Sophie soon, possibly once a month. That way Jon didn't feel totally put out. She walked inside the apartment and set her bags down, pushing her sunglasses up on top of her head. As soon as she stood up, hands grabbed her from behind, making a squeal sound from Tayce's lips. She jumped a foot in the air and spun around, staring into the amused bluish grey eyes of Jon.

"YOU ASS!" She growled, smacking his rock hard stomach and shook her head when he just grinned at her. "Christ, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Truth be told, she missed Jon like crazy and felt the ache in her heart slowly diminish at the sight of him.

Jon chuckled as he lifted her off the floor and his arms tightened around her keeping her body flush against his as he rained kisses all over her face. "What can I say? I missed you. It's like the first time in years you've been away from me for more than a 20-45 minute match. You're not allowed to leave for two days from now on, boss lady. I was bored and drunk out of my mind with Colby and Joe for two days while you were off doing god knows what with a bunch of chicks."

He finally placed her on her feet, grabbing her bag and took it to her room. Jon wouldn't let go of her hand as he drug her to his room and they both plopped on the bed. He pulled his pack of smokes out and shared a cigarette with his head in her lap as always. Tayce laughed softly as Jon took her hand and ran her fingers through his hair, something she hadn't done in the past month. He really did miss her. She could see the dark circles under his eyes and fought back a frown, knowing Jon hadn't slept well with her gone. Maybe once a month was out of the question for now, Tayce thought, leaning down to brush her lips against his forehead.

"I missed you too, Mox."

She took the cigarette from him and took a long deep drag, closing her eyes as the nicotine filled her system. Slipping the cigarette back between his lips, Tayce blinked when Jon began kissing her hand and wrist, making a shiver run down her back. Now THAT was something he hadn't done before and it felt incredible.

"Tell me about your weekend, I want to hear everything." It was great hearing his deep raspy voice again and being this close to him.

"It was boring as shit woman. Seriously, by the end of the first night of drinking, I swore I wouldn't drink anymore without you and then those cocksuckers got me started on the second day and I was just completely fucked."

Jon chuckled, placing her free hand on his t-shirt covered chest over his heart. Feeling her like this with him again, he hadn't realized how much he missed her and Tayce had only been gone for 48 hours. God he was turning into a pussy! As he talked, Jon absentmindedly rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb and he actually kissed her soft skin a few times. Tayce always smelled so good.

"Yeah well at least you didn't stuff your face full of delicious fattening food AND drink at the same time. I swear to god, Sophie makes the BEST homemade pizza EVER. It's better than the place in Chicago." When Jon's brow rose slowly, Tayce giggled as she took another drag of the cigarette once he handed it over. "She made everything homemade, including cheesecake. It was so amazing. She made this marble kind that tasted just like tootsie rolls and I immediately thought of you." She squealed when Jon shot upright and tackled her to the bed, tickling her mercilessly. Somehow, someway she didn't burn herself or Jon with the cigarette, which she was very thankful for. "Jon, stop!"

Jon chuckled, conceding to her pleas. "Yeah that's what I thought!" He plucked the cigarette from her and took the last drag, stubbing it out in the ashtray. "Let's just go ahead and get rid of that. If you get burnt, I'd never forgive myself."

3 seconds later, he pulled Tayce into his arms and spooned up behind her. Jon couldn't believe he really missed her THIS MUCH! What the hell was wrong with him? Wanting to see his face, Tayce rolled over to lay on her other side facing Jon, staring into his eyes. She could lay and stare at him for hours and be completely content. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer and Tayce went without a fuss, their noses practically touching by now.

"I should leave more often." She murmured softly, kissing his nose and snuggled into the pillow with a sigh. Only to laugh when Jon growled at what she said. "Hey, a woman appreciates being missed like this. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that jazz." She sang that last part, amber eyes sparkling. "Don't think for a second this weekend didn't kill me as much as it did you because you're dead wrong. It did kill me being away from you. I missed you a lot and wanted to come home several times, but I also had a blast with Sophie and didn't want to disappoint her. I don't think I'll be leaving for a while though, so you have nothing to worry about."

Jon pushed some of her hair behind her ears, hating it when she hid her face from him. They'd seen each other at their absolute worst, Tayce more so than anyone. She picked him up off the mat more than a 1,000 times when he got his head bashed in and she'd stay with him until his head was stitched and patched up. It was crazy that Joe thought for a second that Tayce was in love with Jon. That big Samoan idiot got under his skin and into his head. There was no way she was – in – in love with him…was there? Jon chewed his bottom lip as he continued to stare into her amber eyes. Maybe if he kissed her there would be some kind of sign. Maybe something would tell him. Jon leaned forward, there was literally less than an inch between them. He started to close the gap when his cell phone rang. It was a sign. He wasn't supposed to kiss Tayce and rolled over, snatching his phone off the nightstand.

"Yeah?"

Did he just – was he about to KISS her?! Tayce immediately sat up as soon as Jon answered his cell phone, trying like hell to get her heart rate and breathing under control. What the hell just happened? She wasn't hallucinating Jon's mouth moving towards hers, was she? Yes, of course she was! Jon said it himself he wasn't capable of loving a woman and made it clear he wasn't interested in her. She didn't bother listening to Jon's conversation and slid from the bed, quickly letting him know when her hands she was heading out to the front room. Jon just waved at her with a smile, acting like nothing happened and once again Tayce's heart broke. How many more times would she allow this to happen? It wasn't Jon's fault, it was her own stupidity!

"I need help." She muttered, heading into the kitchen to try to find something to eat.

Jon walked out of the bedroom and spoke to Colby. Apparently, he and Celeste were having an issue and he was in need of some kind of male talk since Joe and Sophie weren't answering their phones. Jon agreed to meet him down the street so they could talk as he hung up. Walking back into the bedroom, Jon grabbed his car keys off the nightstand, cursing himself for nearly kissing Tayce.

"That was Colby. He needs to talk. You want some ice cream while I'm out?" He asked nonchalantly and hoped she didn't realize he was about to kiss the daylights right out of her.

Jesus Christ, She was his best friend! There was no way in HELL she was in love with him! Jon was just about to make the biggest mistake of his life and get the taste slapped out of his mouth for it.

"No, we have some already here. Tell Colby I said hi. I'll have dinner ready when you get back." Tayce said over her shoulder, reading a package of noodles.

As soon as Jon walked out and the door shut behind him, Tayce dropped the box, letting the tears stream down her cheeks. She was losing her mind. Tayce was starting to actually hallucinate Jon doing the things she wanted him too.

"Damn it, I have to stop this." She whispered softly, wiping her tears away and looked up when a knock sounded at the door. "What the hell?" Walking out of the kitchen toward the front door, Tayce patted her cheeks gently and answered it, only to stare back into the deep jade eyes of Sami. "What the hell are you doing here?" She blurted out, trying not to gape in shock.

"Jeez is that how you greet an old flame?" Sami demanded, holding his bag over his shoulder and had a small smile on his face. "CZW is in town, figured I'd stop and say hi. Jon didn't tell you I was coming?" He stepped through the door past her, looking around. "Nice digs."

"No he didn't. I've been gone all weekend and he's gone right now talking to a friend of his." Tayce couldn't help being sharp with him, especially after the way things ended between them.

"So that means we have the place to ourselves?" Sami questioned, following her into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I've missed you."

"Nothing has changed." Tayce stated, pouring the noodles into the boiling water. "I'm still in love with Jon."

"I know and I don't care." Sami whipped her around to face him, pulling her flush against his body. "Let me take some of your frustration away."

Before Tayce could protest or do something, Sami's mouth covered hers and she instantly melted against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. It'd been too long and her body was rebelling against her mind, needing to feel a man's touch that actually wanted her. Quickly turning the noodles off, Tayce felt Sami lift her in his arms and mumbled the directions to go to her bedroom, Sami kicking the door closed behind him.

**~!~**

"Bro, I don't know what kind of help I can be."

Jon shook his head. He really did feel for the guy, considering Colby and Joe pretty good friends as of late. Celeste had been called up to WWE. She was freaking out and now Colby was freaking out because neither one of them were completely sure if they could continue their relationship if they were in different WWE worlds. Colby had his head in his hands and stared at the ground. He was sitting on the back of his car with Jon next to him.

"I just don't know what to do. I love her, man. And I'm seriously scared I'm going to lose her because she's going to be on the road and I'm stuck here." Colby sighed softly. "I know she's scared too. She was a crying mess when I walked out of the apartment. But I needed air to process my girlfriend leaving me for 5 days at a time, sometimes longer."

Jon patted Colby on the back. "Bro, it's the character strength test. If you can make it through the first 5 days apart then you can make it perfectly fine after that. Besides, we've all been doing stellar. It shouldn't be too much longer before we're all called up just as well."

**~!~**

When Jon got home sometime later that night, Tayce and Sami were on the couch watching a comedy laughing and eating spaghetti. She decided to make something simple, especially after all the sex she had with Sami earlier that day. It had to be 5 hours of nothing except straight fucking and she loved every second of it. She currently wore one of his t-shirts with black lace boy cut panty shorts. The t-shirt was huge on her and went to her knees, so it covered everything.

"Hey there stranger." She greeted when Jon walked through the door, not moving a muscle since she was currently snuggled against Sami, his arm wrapped around her. "Dinner is on the stove and thanks for telling me Sami was paying us a visit." Her golden auburn hair had a haphazard style to it and she had a freshly fucked look on her face.

"Yeah man, what gives?" Sami piped in with a smirk, dropping a kiss on Tayce's forehead and paused the movie. "We're watching Grown Ups, you interested?"

Jon hadn't really forgotten to tell Tayce about Sami's arrival. He was just hoping Sami was still too pissed to show up because, if he hurt Tayce again, he was going to break his other best friend in half. Sami was an asshole to treat Tayce like that. Jon shook his head while filling his plate.

"I'll be in my room, boss lady." He stated before turning and going in his room, slamming the door with authority, laying on his bed with his plate on his chest as he ate and smoked.

"What's his problem?" Sami muttered, looking down at Tayce with questions swirling in his eyes.

Tayce shrugged, not having a clue what was wrong with Jon. "I don't know. He said he was going to talk to one of his friends named Colby earlier. Maybe the guy upset him or something."

That made enough sense. "Do you wanna go check on him?" Sami asked, nuzzling her neck while his hand began inching up her t-shirt, feeling her melt against him again like earlier.

As much as Tayce wanted to make sure Jon was alright, she couldn't help becoming captivated by Sami's touch. Was her body really that deprived of attention? Yes, yes it was. She and Sami used to have sex on a nightly basis when they were in CZW together. She hissed out quietly when his hand drifted lower to her black boy cut lace panties, cupping her sex in his strong hand. Her amber eyes turned molten gold instantly and Tayce parted her thighs, leaning back against the couch while his hand delved beneath the material.

"I'd much rather have you fuck me raw." Tayce whispered, seeing the surprise flash in Sami's eyes and brought his mouth crashing down on hers, raking her nails down his chest. "Bedroom now."

"As you wish, baby." Sami wouldn't deny her anything and lifted her from the couch, completely forgetting about the movie they were watching.

The only thing they would be doing that night was screwing each other until they either went blind or passed out from exhaustion.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Sophie couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun.

She and Tayce laughed, ate and snacked until they passed out. Then got up and did it all over again the next day. By the time Tayce left to go home, Sophie felt like she'd gained a 1,000 pounds and she was in desperate need of a trip to the treadmill. As she pulled up to the arena, she got a phone call from her father. And that was how her great weekend turned her into a pissed off bitch in 10 seconds. She just wanted to be left alone and run until her legs fell off.

Sophie was annoyed, pissed off and she wanted to scream and punch something really hard. The audacity of her father calling her and telling her she was going to be a big sister at the age of 23! It was ridiculous! The fact that him and her stepmother were with child sickened her. God she hated that word and wanted to throw up. That bitch was just shy of being 10 years older than her and he wanted to pretend like they were one big happy family. Sophie couldn't even enjoy the fact Joe was at the gym the same time as her. She could feel the anger rolling off of her in waves. Her hands were clenched so tightly, her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands and she currently had 4 DEEP crescent shape indents in the middle of it.

She was going to snap HARD!

Today was cardio training as Joe currently ran on the treadmill, sweat caking his body. He looked up when the door opened and Sophie walked in, not believing what perfect timing this was. It was now or never. He made a vow during his weekend binge drinking fest with Jon and Colby that he would tell Sophie how he felt about her. Joe was a very observant person and he could FEEL the anger pouring from Sophie in gallons. Wave after wave crashed over him and it made him frown, wondering what the hell was going on with her. Her entire face went BEAT red as she merely stood on the treadmill, not pushing the start button to begin her workout. All she did was stand there staring straight ahead with the most pissed off look on her face. Joe had never seen her that pissed off before. It scared him a bit actually. Stopping his own workout, Joe felt the treadmill halt and he stepped off of it, walking over to where Sophie still stood still as a statue.

"Sophie, are you okay?" He asked in a low rumble, watching her upper lip curl up in a snarl and took a chance, reaching out to touch her arm. "Sophie?"

Sophie's head snapped to the side, angry blue eyes meeting Joe's grey. Normally she softened at his looks that he would give her, but right now she was so mad she felt like her whole body was going to explode and wipe out everyone within a 6 block radius, shaking her head. She could feel her whole body shaking with anger. Sophie couldn't even make her feet move to run on the treadmill. The one thing that really messed her up was her father sounding so happy about his 'wife' being pregnant. She felt jealous with envy for a baby that hadn't even been born yet. Her whole body was swimming with different emotions.

"Please don't touch me right now." Her voice was low and ice cold.

"What's wrong?" Joe pulled his hand away from her arm and instead got on the treadmill to stand behind her. He was worried about Sophie. "Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it." He murmured quietly, this time placing his hands on her shoulders.

In an instant, Sophie whipped around and slapped the taste out of his mouth. The blow rocked Joe as he stumbled back off the treadmill, hitting the wall touching his flaming cheek. Instantaneously, anger flared in his own grey eyes as Joe snarled, squaring his shoulders.

"Fine, stand there and be a bitchy princess all you want. I could give a shit less." He stalked away from her, growling.

Sophie sighed shakily, not believing she'd just slapped him. She finally hit the button on the treadmill and ended up running at her maximum speed for an hour as she watched Joe working out with weights. Finally stepping off the treadmill to go shower, Sophie stopped in front of him, feeling she owed him an explanation for that slap.

"I'm such a princess right? I'm so much of a princess that my mother left giving up all her parental rights to me when I was 5. There's some lady who gave birth to me and she doesn't even want to know who I am or if I'm even still alive. My father moves us from Italy back to the states and when I was 14, he remarries some fucking 21 year old and wants me to call her Mommy. I'd been living on my own for 2 years when my father finally realized I moved out of his fucking house at 15, but he didn't even notice I was missing until my 17th birthday. Yeah, I'm a regular fucking queen right?" She scoffed as hot tears slid down her cheeks. "As if shit couldn't get any merrier in my life, my father just informed me that he and my stepmother are having a baby and they are just fucking overjoyed about it. I'm just trying to figure out how he's supposed to be this great fucking father when he wasn't shit to me." She growled and walked into the bathroom, the door crashing against the wall when she shoved it open and closed with a slam.

Joe took a few minutes to process all of that, trying to wrap his mind around what a true dickhead her father was. What kind of man went out and married a 21 year old girl, wanted his daughter to call her mommy and then get her knocked up? A fool ass man that deserved to have his ass kicked! Joe finished his reps and racked the bar, his body coated in a fine sheen of sweat. There was no way he'd let Sophie get away from him again, not this time. He would have the last word if anything and stalked toward the bathroom, kicking the door nearly off its hinges.

The shower sprays were going and he knew Sophie was showering, not giving a damn. Walking over, Joe ripped the shower curtain right off the rack, making Sophie scream out in surprise and stood there staring at her. Her arms had shot up to try to cover her breasts, but absolutely nothing covered her lower extremities. And suddenly all rational thought and all of his anger drained away, replaced with unbridled lust and a fire he couldn't ignore. Without saying a word, Joe stepped into the shower under the sprays, yanked Sophie's wet body flush against his and smashed his lips against hers.

Sophie couldn't think straight.

Joe's lips against hers made her whole body melt and suddenly she'd forgotten all about being pissed off, wanting to literally kill her own father. Now she only had one simple thought: Joe Anoa'i. She couldn't forget the first kiss they shared in the same bathroom or the second the night she had the concussion. But this kiss was something else. Sophie wanted to fight him with everything she had in her body and apparently it wasn't much because she completely melted against him.

She pulled Joe further into the shower, her hands gliding up and pulled the rubber band out of his hair, freeing his long black locks. Her fingers went through them and the minute his tongue touched hers, she moaned into his mouth. Sophie could feel his hands all over her naked body and she WASN'T complaining at all. She felt him step out of his sneakers and her hand slipped inside his basketball shorts, untying them letting the sopping material fall to the shower floor. Her hand then slipped into his boxer briefs and Sophie took his already hardened cock into her hand, squeezing softly then pulling. It was his turn to moan into her mouth.

God did he love the feeling of her hand wrapped around his cock. Joe slammed her body against the wall, going with her so she didn't rip his dick off and immediately covered her mouth with his. This wasn't going to be some romantic rendezvous between them. The tension was still there and Joe still had ill feelings toward her. But her slick naked body pressed against his was too much for him to resist. He lifted her instantly, wrapping her legs roughly around his waist and began grinding against her, ripping his lips from hers. They were both breathing heavily and Joe couldn't resist the next set of words that came from his mouth.

"You like that don't you? Yeah, the little princess likes it rough, doesn't she?" He growled in her ear, feeling her body quiver against him and smacked her ass cheeks roughly, giving them a firm squeeze. "Show me what daddy's princess is really made of before I fuck that sweet little pussy of yours." When Sophie hauled off and slapped him again, Joe's eyes ignited with a new fire, his cock hardening more. "Again." Sophie slapped him harder this time and that was exactly what Joe wanted. "Mmm you can do better than that." All the while his cock rubbed up and down her wet slit, the shower sprays pounding on them.

Sophie was getting tired of the antagonizing and scowled. It angered and hurt her at the same time that he kept calling her princess. She hated that nickname unless it was coming from her Uncle and what she was about to do with Joe was anything but family oriented. Sophie slapped him once again before she pinched his nipple and gripped his hair, pulling Joe's head back until their lips smashed together. Maybe now he would get the picture if all he wanted to do was fuck her then he needed to start doing it.

"Stop talking about it and fucking do something about it, Joe."

"With pleasure." Joe growled hastily and snapped his hips forward, burying his cock to the hilt inside of her receptive willing body.

He hissed out at how tight she was, her walls feeling like a vise grip clenched around him. Joe didn't wait for her to adjust to him and started plunging in and out of her. He suddenly pulled out of her and turned her around to where her hands splayed against the shower wall, bending her beautiful ass over to his liking.

"Mmm this is much better…" He snarled in her ear and slipped past her wet folds again, working both of them into an absolute frenzy.

Sophie kept her hands on the wall and felt Joe's hands on her hips, gripping them hard. Oh she was going to be bruised after this, but right now she could care less and felt him plummeting in and out of her to the point of pain. Sophie didn't care and needed this release. She'd have her sexual tension reliever and neither one of them would talk about it again. They could go back to hating each other.

Joe was never going to change and those princess comments that he kept throwing at her were enough of a reason for her to be convinced of it. Lord she wouldn't dare tell Matt they had sex. It would crush him and she was NOT about to hurt his feelings. She still loved him like a best friend and she didn't want to be responsible for hurting him. Sophie started pushing back as Joe was thrusting forward, getting much more feeling and bang for their buck. Oh she would definitely enjoy the ache tomorrow.

Joe was a lot stronger than he realized and didn't know his hands would leave fingerprint bruises on her hips or he nearly ripped her insides to shreds. He didn't mean to. Sophie wasn't complaining of anything, any amount of pain, and Joe wasn't a mind reader. So until she screamed out in something else besides pleasure, Joe wasn't stopping the pace. He grunted, running his tongue up the length of her spine while pounding her sweet sex into oblivion. The sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoed off the shower room walls. Joe suddenly lifted Sophie's legs completely off the floor, making her lean back against the wall and didn't stop the thrusting, using his full strength to power in and out of her.

Sophie practically bit a hole through her lip as he powered in and out of her receptive body. Suddenly, as fast as it started it was over and they were both cumming in waves as their orgasms racked their bodies. Sophie leaned against the wall, watching Joe collect his clothes and wrapped a towel around his waist, disappearing from the girl's locker room. Sophie swallowed hard and fixed the shower curtain, wrapping a towel around her body. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as she got dressed and grabbed her keys, cell phone and left to go home. The guilt was already eating her alive and she couldn't believe she just let Joe Anoa'i bang her in a gym bathroom.

The second Joe came inside of Sophie, he knew he'd made a grave mistake by following her into the bathroom. He honestly wanted to check on her and that was it. But the sight of her crying in the shower and her beautiful wet naked flesh had been too much for him to resist. Even though he had feelings for Sophie, he knew he would never be good enough for her. Look at all the crap he'd put her through! Calling her Princess when he knew she loathed that nickname and accusing her of being a whore because of the rumors flying around the locker room. Joe was a dick, a class A dick and he didn't deserve a great woman like Sophie.

As he got dressed in the men's locker room, he couldn't help closing his eyes, savoring the image of her bent over with his cock sliding in and out of her body. She completely gave into him with no hesitation, so obviously she felt something. Then again, maybe her anger had gotten the better of her and she used him to relieve some frustration. He had propositioned her before and said that they should have sex since there was obvious sexual tension between them. What else could it be? He stood up from the bench, wearing jeans and a white beater that contrasted against his natural dark skin tone. However, all it did was leave Joe wanting and craving more of Sophie Martini.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Shortly after Celeste was called up to the big leagues, it was no surprise when Sophie followed her. The women were needed since the WWE kept changing Divas more than someone changed their underwear. Celeste was already traveling with the WWE Superstars and Colby was miserable without her, especially since they ended their relationship. Ever since Sami's visit, Jon had become extremely distant from Tayce and she didn't understand why.

They lived together and she remained by his side, but their friendship was on the rocks. Tayce had no idea what was going on with him and had tried getting him to talk, but he shut her out. So Tayce left him alone to wallow in whatever was going on with him. Tayce camped out at Sophie's because she didn't want to be around the negative energy Jon put out. So she made him hang out with both Colby and Joe because obviously he would rather talk to them than her.

When Tayce got the call from Vince McMahon himself that Jon was being sent up to big leagues, she was beyond stoked. She got to be the one to tell Jon the incredible news after making him a delicious dinner and tootsie roll cake – a recipe she found online. Jon was ecstatic and both of them couldn't believe it was finally happening. He finally made it.

Tayce stood backstage with Jon like always, helping roll his sleeves up and decided she would be having a conversation with the wardrobe people regarding his outfit. They looked ridiculous with the shirts, just vests would more than suffice for the future. She had on a long sleeved black shirt with black dress pants, her hair piled up on top of her head in a ton of spiral curls. Her makeup was simple eyeliner, gloss and foundation, 2 inch knee high boots on her feet.

Tonight was the WWE debut of the Shield and Tayce couldn't have been happier for Jon. Though, behind closed doors, they barely spoke to each other and kept their distance. That one night with Tayce cooking dinner and making dessert was a celebration and the only time they had really spent quality time together in a long while.

Jon stood backstage with Colby and Joe, decked out in black cargo pants, black boots and black long sleeved turtleneck shirts. They all looked sharp with their sleeves pulled up to just below their elbows. The shirts felt confining around the neck, but it was hopefully for tonight only. They debuted as 'The Shield' on NXT on October 31st. In August, NXT bought out FCW, changing the landscape of the developments forever. Somehow the higher ups thought the three of them looked scary, powerful and knew they would put asses in the seats. Vince had been quick to call the 3 of them up. They were all nervous and excited, but could do what they were supposed to.

All 3 men were definitely nervous. They were too swoop in destroy Ryback –His real name was Ryan Reeves- and then disappear. Jon looked down as Tayce, they'd really grown apart because he was being a dick. He missed her. He missed her so much. Jon couldn't believe she was still here with him taking his crap and she looked beautiful doing it. If he would just open his mouth and tell her how sorry he was for being such an asshole and tell her why he'd done it, maybe, just maybe, Tayce would forgive him. But he just couldn't do it. Jon still refused to believe she was in love with him.

"Don't be nervous."

Tayce could feel the apprehension coming from Jon and gently touched his arm, refusing to leave his side. She'd been with him from the very beginning and just because they were having a small tiff didn't mean she'd abandon him. He nodded down at her and Tayce pulled her hand away, chewing her bottom lip. Maybe walking away was the best thing she could do, but Tayce couldn't do it. In her mind and heart, she was exactly where she belonged.

Jon breathed in and out heavily, trying to get her touch off his arm. What the hell was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just talk to her? She was his best friend for Christ sakes! He'd kill anyone else who would've hurt her, but here he was hurting her the most. Jon had to fix this. He wasn't sure how, but he had to do it…and soon.

"Fuck that, I'm still nervous as shit."

Tayce cracked a small smile, not blaming him a bit because this was going to the biggest crowd he ever performed in front of. It was Survivor Series, one of the big 4 pay-per-views the WWE had every year. It was a big event, which is why she was dressed to the nines and even had her hair professionally done.

"Just breathe in through the nose and out the mouth. You'll be fine. You got this, Mox. Look at me." She suddenly grabbed his face, forcing his bluish-grey eyes to meet hers. "You are the best. You are still Jon Moxley. It doesn't matter that they changed your name. You go out there and you tear the fucking house down. You go out there and prove to yourself, the fans and your peers that you belong here. Do you hear me? This is your time to shine. You've finally made it and you deserve to be here. So stop with the nervous bullshit and be Jon Moxley. Be yourself."

Jon nodded, standing when Joe finally got back to the room. He had stepped out for a minute. They all walked out and went through the crowd in complete stealth mode. It would be quick and painless – well for them anyway. They waited until their cue and then, like silent thieves in the night, jumped the barricades. Colby and Jon lifted up Ryan, setting him on Joe's shoulders as they drove his body full force through the announcer's table, demolishing it. They officially solidified the Shield's arrival into the WWE.

They finally had made it.

Tayce had tears sliding down her cheeks as she watched Jon finally make his rightful debut in the WWE. It was everything she thought it would be in more, minus their friendship being on the rocks. It didn't matter though. She was so incredibly proud of him. It felt like old times with her giving him the pep talk before his match or promo or whatever he had to do in front of the fans. She cheered, jumping up and down acting like the fans out in the arena with the biggest smile on her face. Tayce didn't know what came over her, but as soon as Jon came through the curtain, she leapt into his arms and planted a solid kiss on his lips.

"Congratulations Mox, you were amazing." She whispered, hugging him briefly around the neck and felt her feet touch the floor as he lowered her to it moments later. "You guys were good too, I'm biased what can I say?"

Jon stared down at the amber eyed beauty in front of him in shock. Her lips against his felt completely familiar, but from where? How did he know that feeling? He suddenly got his brain functions back. Flashbacks suddenly pierced his brain as Jon closed his eyes, the visions of that night with Tayce flowing through his mind. It hadn't been a dream. Tayce had tackled him to the bed and kissed him! Visions of him ripping her panties from her body and her begging him to take her followed, everything going black in a matter of seconds.

"It was you." His bluish grey eyes snapped open. "Tayce, it was you." Jon watched as everyone left their dressing room. "The night I thought I had a sex dream about Trina fucking Michaels. It wasn't a dream, was it? Did we have sex?"

All color drained from Tayce's face when Jon asked her that, her eyes widening. What was she supposed to do? Lie to him again for the umpteenth time? Tayce's eyes lowered to the floor as she took in a shaky deep breath, trying to calm her suddenly racing heart beat down a little.

"No. And no." She admitted quietly, all the excitement replaced with fear and uncertainty. "We got really wasted that night. To the point where…I sort of…no actually I pounced on you like a bitch in heat and kissed you. We were close though and…just before you, you know…you passed out. You went limp and you passed out on me. How the hell are you suddenly remembering when that was MONTHS ago?"

Jon shook his head. "You shouldn't have kissed me just now and I wouldn't be remembering shit! I can't believe you lied to me, Tayce." Jon felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "You're my best friend and you kept a secret like that from me? The next morning when I was joking around about it, you just should've told me we had a drunken issue the night before. I'd feel a little less betrayed right now had you just told me the truth. You've been lying to me for months."

"Excuse me?" Now Tayce was defensive, fire erupting in her eyes. "You're seriously standing here looking me in the eye and accusing me of lying to you?! YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE FUCKING A WHORE INSTEAD OF ME! Do you have ANY idea how I felt the next morning when you said that? I felt like the lowest piece of shit on the planet because I actually thought, for a second, that you wanted ME. But OH NO, you just HAD to think it was Trina 'bang me until I'm black and blue' Michaels, didn't you? You're a self-righteous asshole, Jonathan Good! You've been treating me like shit for the past few months and refuse to talk to me about what's fucking bothering you! You want some truth? You want me to tell you the complete truth and reveal everything? Here it is: I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you since we were 16 and I hate myself for it!" Tears streamed down her face like two rapid rivers, nonstop. "That night when I kissed you, I wanted to do it. I've spent the last 10 years of my life pining for you and you didn't even fucking see it. You were BLIND as a goddamn bat! Yet you claim you never wanted to lose me and my friendship. Well guess what, asshole, you just DID. I can't do this anymore. I can't…I can't stand by your side anymore. It hurts too much and the final nail in the coffin was when you just accused me of lying to you. I have NEVER lied to you. There was simply no point in telling you what really happened because you would've either laughed in my face, brushed it off and ignored it or gotten pissed off like you are now. So have fun in the WWE, I hope it works out for you. 10 years of my life wasted on professional wrestling and an idiot who wouldn't know love IF IT BIT HIM IN THE ASS!"

Jon shook his head negatively. "No it's not true. There's no way for it to possibly be true. Damn Tayce, why the fuck would you fall in love with me? I'm a fucking nobody. I've been nobody since my whore mother popped me out. I know I've been a dick and I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you love me. You need to love someone who is worthy of your love, not me. I don't deserve it and I'm not worth it."

Jon sat in one of the metal chairs, putting his head in his hands. This was really happening she really did love him. That Samoan idiot had been right all along. He shook his head, refusing to accept it.

"You can't love me, Tayce. You just can't. I'm not good enough for you. I'm not NEARLY good enough." There was a twinge in the pit of his stomach as his bluish grey eyes locked with her amber ones.

The way he talked about himself was heartbreaking and it shattered Tayce, the tears flowing continuously. "How can you say that? No more importantly, how can you believe that? Jon, look at all that you've accomplished in spite of your whore mother. I know she wasn't there for you and I know you had to go through some rough times, but goddamn it open your eyes! You DO have people that care about you and love you. My mother is crazy about you and wishes to god you were her son. Every time she calls, she's always asking about you and making sure we're taking care of each other. I've known you practically my whole life, why do you think I was so adamant to go with you on this journey? Because I knew I was in love with you then and my feelings have only grown and intensified as the years have passed." Tayce wiped her tears away hastily, angry at herself for being this honest with him. "But you refuse to believe anything I'm saying because you truly think you're unworthy of being loved. Guess what, you're wrong. You are worthy. Maybe I'm the unworthy one. Maybe I'm just not good enough for the great and powerful Jon Moxley – AKA – Dean Ambrose – AKA – Jonathan Good. Whatever the case may be, I'm done. I have to walk away and try to pick up the pieces of my heart and life before you completely shatter them." This was it. Tayce had to part ways with him after 10 years and it killed her, but she had to do what was best for her and nobody else. "I love you, Jon. I'm just sorry you don't feel the same way about me." Walking out, Tayce headed toward the exit with tears streaming down her face, not caring who saw her anymore.

She felt more alone than ever.

Jon knew he had to go after her. He knew he loved her too. He'd started falling for her the minute she argued with him about going with him on the road at 16. He argued with her for a week straight before they left for the road that led to all things wrestling. Jon called her a stubborn pigheaded pain in the ass, but he knew she wouldn't back down. It took her putting his stubborn ass in a headlock to force him to see she wasn't going anywhere that he wasn't going. He should've known then that she was destined to be in his life forever. At this point he was scared to death about having full knowledge that someone was fully in love with him. He just wasn't good enough for Tayce.

And now – Jon had probably lost her for good.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Jon drove everyone to the next venue for Monday Night Raw. He could tell Colby was glad to have Celeste back, but he himself was miserable. He tried calling Tayce a 1,000 times and she kept sending him to voicemail. She finally turned her cell off. Jon could tell something was going on with Joe, he'd been quiet during the whole trip.

"Hey by the way asshole, I don't admit when I'm wrong a lot, but I'll tell you right now: I was wrong and you were right." Jon sighed heavily. "Tayce is in love with me." He hit his fist on the steering wheel.

"I could've told you that." Celeste said from the back, shaking her head. "That girl has been head over heels for you for years. Why do you think she wanted to disappear all the time to Sophie's whenever you had days off in Florida? Because being alone with you and not being able to showcase how she really felt killed her."

Colby smirked, his eyes turning to Joe. "And you already know Sophie's in love with your big ape ass, so I have no idea why you're avoiding her AGAIN." He emphasized that word, wrapping an arm around Celeste. "Don't you two want this? What we have?"

Joe stared out the window and sighed, nodding. "I'm in love with her too." He admitted quietly, scrubbing a hand down his face.

The night of Joe's debut, he tracked her down and apologized for being a dick that day at the gym when they had sex and she forgave him. Joe and Sophie came to an understanding, but they weren't together. He preferred it that way. He knew the woman was in love with him. He ended up sleeping with Sophie the night of their reconciliation, falling asleep with her in his arms. It felt right, too right and scared the living hell out of him. So, like any man would, he avoided her like the plague.

"Then why don't you just drop your balls and tell her?" Celeste demanded, snuggling against Colby's side.

"The same reason Jon refuses to tell Tayce how he feels." Joe ignored Jon's glare shot at him. "Because she deserves better."

Jon grumbled behind the wheel. "Why are women so impossible and when we finally get them where we want them, they pull the rug out from underneath of us?" Jon complained, feeling completely helpless. "I guess this time around, I'm the one being difficult." Boy that was a bitter pill to swallow. "There's not much I can do about it right now because chances are Tayce is on a plane home. And she's definitely never going to want to speak to me again."

"Will you two just listen to yourselves? Jesus Christ, Jon get your head out of your ass and you might just be able to not only salvage your friendship with Tayce, but you could get so much more out of it." Celeste moved forward between the two front seats. "Joe, don't you understand you are her better? All the shit you two have put each other through and then also went through got you to this point. How could you not see you're perfect for each other? You love her, she loves you and if you don't do something, you're really going to lose her. No matter what you say, she doesn't deserve better, she deserves you. She's so broken from all the bullshit her father put her through and being abandoned by a woman she never even knew. You're the only one who will ever be able to truly save her heart. You've got this huge family and they all love her – they already love her as much as you do. Do you have any idea what your family would do if you brought her home one day?" Celeste sighed softly and smacked both of them in the back of the head. "Fine be stubborn, but you're not only going to hurt yourselves doing this stupid bullshit, but you're going to hurt Sophie and Tayce too. Besides, I have it on good authority that Sophie is going down to Pensacola for her days off this week. Something about her Uncle and Sika having some kind of family reunion."

"Are you serious?" Joe groaned, lowering his head in his hands. "That's just fucking great. That means I'm gonna have to face all of my relatives with a woman who hates my guts. Nice. So fucking nice." Joe didn't tell anyone about having sex with Sophie, especially his brother. There was no reason since it was an intimate moment between the two of them. "Son of a bitch…"

Celeste growled and leaned forward, socking Joe in the arm as hard as she could. "Did you not hear anything I said? Oh my fuckin god! Joe Anoa'i, Sophie is in LOVE with you, you fucking idiot. I can't believe I just gave you that whole eye-opening heartfelt speech about how much you both love each other and all you heard was blah-blah-blah, Sophie hates my guts. Did I say that? NO I DID NOT! She is in LOVE with you, you asshole. Now get your head out of your ass and DO something about it!" Celeste practically screeched. "How many times do I actually have to say it? How stupid and thickheaded can you fucking be?"

Jon's eyes widened as Celeste snapped all over Joe. He pulled the car into a parking spot and killed the engine, watching as she got out of the vehicle and slammed the door so hard the back window cracked. Jon and Colby both cringed.

"Man, you really know how to piss a girl off. Is that like a specialty or something?"

**~!~**

"I'm sorry, what?"

Stephanie smiled, folding her hands on the desk. "I said you're not leaving the company. You signed a contract, a 3 year deal with us. You are locked in unless you wish to buy out your contract, which I don't think you can." She was smug enough to say that aloud. "So, instead of dealing with us suing you for voiding your contract, I have a better solution."

"Which is?"

"You will be the valet of Randy Orton and Sheamus. His real name is Stephen Farrelly. They need a valet right now along with a personal assistant."

Tayce walked out of Stephanie McMahon-Levesque's office completely shocked, not knowing how she was going to pull this off. For 10 years, she'd stuck by Jon and now she was supposed to go to someone else, cater to someone else? This was a complete nightmare.

What the hell was Tayce thinking?

Had she completely lost her mind?

Tayce felt nauseous because there would be no hiding this from Jon. He would see her walk to the ring with Randy and Stephen, explode and take half of the state with him. She looked down at the outfit she had on, a black and green corset top that had black laces in the front and a zipper on the side. Her legs were encased in black tight leather pants that molded her ass to perfection and black 2 inch steel toed boots adorned her feet. Her golden auburn hair was teased up on top of her head, a few tendrils framing her face delicately.

That left her shoulders bare and a black choker was around her neck. Her nails were manicured green with black tips and her makeup was different for the first time in years. Smoky eyes, peach gloss and foundation – Tayce felt like a streetwalker. Standing outside of Randy and Stephen's locker room, she fought the urge to bite her bottom lip and knocked on the door, hearing a deep voice call 'come in'. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open, staring back at her new team.

Even through the makeup and look, Randy recognized the woman instantly and could tell how nervous she was. "Tayce Stevens, right?"

That caught Stephen's attention. "You know her?"

Randy nodded, taking a step toward their new valet and personal assistant. "We've ran into each other in the hallway." He said, not taking his eyes off of her. "Are you ready for tonight?"

Tayce nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes."

Tayce was miserable, but she had to stay strong. She had to stand her ground. If she didn't, she'd let Jon back into her life and that simply wasn't an option. Sighing softly, Tayce busied with her work getting Randy and Stephen's schedule under control. She made a couple phone calls, but it was nothing hectic thankfully. Stephen kept to himself and so did Randy, but once Stephen left the dressing room to go down to Stephanie's office, that left her alone with Randy.

"You know I don't bite, right?" Randy joked, walking over while wrapping his wrists, sitting down beside her. "I know this is a big change for you. But if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. I've been told I'm a good listener."

Cracking a hesitant smile, Tayce nodded and patted his arm gently. "Thank you Randy, that means a lot. I'll be okay. It'll just take some time to get used to being in someone else's corner."

"Fair enough, just know the offer is always there."

Before she knew it, the time arrived for Tayce to make her debut with Randy and Sheamus. She was one big ball of nerves. This wasn't the first time she went out in front of a crowd, BUT it was the first time for a crowd this big. The WWE was top of the line. There was no other organization bigger and better. When the pyro went off just behind the curtain, Tayce fought back jumping and walked out with Randy and Sheamus. The crowd buzzed at the sight of her and Tayce looped her arm through Randy's, plastering on a smile. This was Monday Night Raw. This was a live televised program. And Tayce knew at that moment, if Jon was in front of a monitor, he would see her on the arm of one of the locker room's current leaders.

There was a small monitor in the Shield dressing room as Joe wrapped his wrists, already in his Shield gear with the tactic vest, black cargo pants and boots. His hair was drenched and hung down his back in wet raven waves. Glancing up at the monitor, Joe's eyes went wide with shock and nudged Colby.

"Holy shit."

"What?" Colby demanded, looking at the monitor next and gaped. "Holy shit." He echoed, moving closer as if the picture on the monitor was playing tricks on him. "Is that…?"

"Hey Jon, come look at your woman, man."

Jon choked on his gum and spit it out, watching Tayce walk down the ramp with Randy Orton and Sheamus. He was suddenly overcome with the one emotion he never knew he possessed in his body: JEALOUSY! His best friend was valeting for a team that couldn't wrestle worth a damn and looked happy doing it.

"No fucking way this is going to continue. NO MOTHER FUCKING WAY!"

He stormed out of the dressing room with Joe and Colby hot on his heels as they took off to the top of the arena stairs. Jon growled at the guy in the sound booth to hit their music, scowling as they charged down the steps all the way to the ring. They didn't touch anyone, well not until Randy Orton started coming after Jon. Joe ended up spearing the hell out of both Sin Cara –his real name was Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde- and Rey Mysterio –his real name was Oscar Gutierrez Rubio- the same time Colby took down Stephen. Jon stalked over to Tayce, staring down at her with hard eyes before bodily tossing her over his shoulder. As fast as the Shield appeared, they disappeared just as fast back to the sanctity of their dressing room.

"HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR GODDAMN MIND? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID?" Tayce erupted as soon as Jon set her on her feet in the Shield dressing room, amber eyes completely steeled over. She was breathing heavily and rubbed her stomach because Jon hadn't been gentle going all caveman on her on NATIONAL TELEVISION. "DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" She shrieked, socking him right in the shoulder as hard as she could and knew she'd have a bruise on her abdomen. "You are unbelievable! What the hell is wrong with you, Jonathan Good? Do you WANT to lose your job? Do you WANT to destroy your dream? GET YOUR SHIT STRAIGHT THEN!"

"I WILL JEOPARDIZE EVERYTHING FOR YOU!" Jon yelled right back at her. "Yes, I have completely lost my mind." He sighed heavily and slammed the dressing room door once Colby and Joe left. "I was stupid and stubborn. I was a fucking dick, but don't you dare think I wouldn't do it all over again. I told you once already I'm perfectly content living in the Indies my whole life. I don't need WWE! I don't need NXT. All I ever needed was you by my side. It doesn't matter where I am because none of this is worth it without you." Jon suddenly ran out of steam plopping down in a chair.

"Jon…" Tayce had no more fight left in her and blinked, feeling huge tears slide down her cheeks. "I don't understand. I mean you pushed me away because you don't want me to be in love with you. And I get that. But what do you mean you'll jeopardize everything for me? That doesn't sound like someone who doesn't believe he's capable of being loved or loving even. Why isn't being in the WWE worth anything without me? This is all you've ever wanted. From the second you discovered professional wrestling when we were kids, that's all you talked about. And when we were 16, you finally took the risk and I went with you." She lowered herself on her knees in front of him, looking up at him with pleading tear-filled eyes and held his knees. "What do you want from me? Because I don't know how much more I can take before I completely break."

Jon smiled softly down at her, gently cupping her face with his hand. "God you're so beautiful. I've missed you so much, even though we were never really apart. I've been an asshole, a dick and you have every right to kick my ass. I didn't want you falling in love with me because you deserve someone so much better. You deserve someone who will make you happy. All I've managed to do is make you miserable and now you're crying. I've made you cry. I'm an asshole, I made you cry twice. And if truth be told, I imagine I've made you cry a lot. After the whole wet dream Trina Michaels' thing definitely and when I started pushing you away when I was still at NXT. I can't push you away anymore, Tayce." He sighed heavily, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "I love you. I've been in love with you for a while, but I was completely stupid." His eyes danced all over her face as if trying to memorize everything about her, even though Jon didn't have to.

The biggest wave of relief crashed over her as soon as she heard those words come out of Jon's mouth. Fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks as Tayce scrambled up to toss her arms around Jon's neck, holding him as tight as she could. She felt Jon's arms wrap around her waist and her feet suddenly left the floor because he stood up. Burying her face in his neck, Tayce wrapped her legs around his waist, not letting go of him for a second. She missed him just as much, if not more. It nearly killed her to walk away from him the way she did, but it also helped Jon open his eyes to the truth.

"You are worth it. You do make me happy. I don't want anyone else and I never will." She said in his ear, running her fingers through his wet hair and pressed a soft kiss to the side of his neck. "Please don't push me away again. It'll kill me if you do."

Jon's hands slid down under her thighs to keep her in place. He unhooked her legs and sat back down on the only couch in the room, keeping her straddled on his lap, his hands once again cupping her face. "You have no idea how long I've loved you – no idea whatsoever. But I'm going to make it up to you. I swear on my life."

Suddenly, Jon's mouth covered hers, not able to hold back any longer. Her lips against his made him groan immediately. Just the feeling of them against his made his whole body come to life as if it had never done before. It was like this was the first time he'd ever truly felt his whole body become wide awake.

"Then marry me." Tayce murmured against his mouth and felt Jon pull back, amber eyes nothing more than molten gold at the moment, hazy with barely contained desire. She smiled at his shocked face and ran her manicured nails down his cheek. "You say you don't want to live without me. You say that you'll make it up to me. Then prove it. Marry me. I'm already your wife without the label. I cook for you, I schedule your everyday life for you, I worry and pep talk you when you need it. I want you to be mine completely in every way. Heart, mind, body and soul. I want it all or nothing, Jon." Tayce turned completely serious, taking his hand and pressed it over her beating heart. "I'm yours entirely and I have been for a long time. If you're truly mine in every way, then be my husband. Have babies with me. Grow old with me. I want it all and I want it with you because that's how much I love you." She gave him another searing smoldering kiss, cupping his face in her hands. "So what's it gonna be? Are you in or out, Mox?"

Jon pulled back and looked into deep amber pools. She was completely serious wasn't she? She didn't crack a smile, she sealed the serious question with a kiss. She was serious, just the look in her eyes told him she was deadly serious. Well he was just as serious and refused to let her down again, nodding.

"Yes ma'am, I will do whatever you want. I will be whatever you want. You want to get married and have babies, then all I have to ask is what are we waiting for? I love you and I will love being married to you and I will love our beautiful babies who I hope look like you. Because if they look like me, they have no hope for survival."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

When Sophie woke up the next morning and Joe was gone, that was the final straw for her. It felt so good to sleep in his arms, but she knew he was going to just keep avoiding her. At this point, she didn't know what to do anymore, so she did what she always did. Sophie would just keep herself to Celeste or Tayce and she wouldn't acknowledge Joe anymore. Celeste had introduced Sophie to Phillip Brooks the night before at the arena. He was super easy to get along with and down to earth. Sophie had traveled with Phil to Monday night Raw and within a span of 12 hours, she'd never laughed so hard in her life. By the time they got to the arena, Sophie had laughed so much she was crying.

No matter how much fun she had with Phil, Sophie was completely in love with Joe and nothing would change that. Somehow, Phil was really good at making Sophie laugh and she had a hard time concentrating when she was jogging on the treadmill and listening to Phil as he told her jokes. She was glad the WWE had a gym set up in the arena. She needed to jog to get Joe out of her mind. She was literally going crazy. Phil helped ease the ache in her heart, but it didn't completely go away and wouldn't for a very long time.

After her workout, Sophie ventured down to Celeste's locker room and wasn't surprised to see the deep annoyed look on her face. Sophie stood in Celeste's dressing room giggling about as hard as she could while her friend ranted and raved about Joe not listening to a word she said. Apparently, Joe had gotten under Celeste's skin by drowning her out when she tried talking to him about Sophie. Not surprising. She rubbed Celeste's arm, letting her know everything was fine and headed down the hallway to finish getting ready for her match.

Sophie was bewildered at the sight of Joe, Colby and Jon wiping out 4 guys before abducting Tayce. She knew that wasn't going to set well with Jon when Tayce told her Stephanie had basically forced her to become Randy Orton and Stephen Farrelly's new personal assistant/valet. She shook her head and looked up when Phil walked in, raising a brow.

"Finish up, you're going to the ring with me."

"What?" Sophie blinked, gaping.

"Come on, we have to show off the new Diva's champ and what better way than for her to be escorted by me? The Best in the World. You can help me whip some ass. I gotta set a few things straight with Cena and his holier than thou attitude." Phillip informed her with a smirk, extending his hand.

Sophie laughed when he snapped the Diva's belt around her waist and took her hand, dragging her to gorilla position. Just as his music hit, Phil grabbed her hips and lifted her until she was sitting on his shoulder, holding onto her feet so she wouldn't fall backwards.

"Hey look what I found! I got the new Diva's champ in my corner!" Phil announced in the microphone, hazel eyes twinkling.

Sophie blushed hard from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes and couldn't help it. Phil was such a sweet guy, but she knew she'd never feel anything for him. It was Joe. It would always be Joe. She hated it too because Phil was interested in her and had no baggage, not that she knew of anyway. He would've been the perfect man to be with because they did have a connection. It just wasn't nearly as deep and raw as she had with Joe.

As soon as Joe saw Phillip Brooks carting Sophie to the ring, he didn't go caveman out to the ring like Jon did. Oh no. He would wait and bide his time because he refused to embarrass Sophie in front of the world. Both he and Colby left the dressing room after Tayce's explosion, honestly not blaming her. Then again, at least Jon had the balls to go out to the ring and claim his woman. Joe didn't and Colby didn't have to because he already had who he wanted. At the family reunion, Joe would have to talk to Sophie when they were away from the wrestling world. Maybe then he'd finally get the courage to admit to her how much he loved her.

Sophie had a great time with Phil in and out of the ring Monday night. She didn't have a match, but she did cut her promo. Once her promo was done, she headed back to the hotel to relax. Sophie was going to run, but decided to take a beat and went down to swim in the hotel pool for a while before she went back to her room. After a shower and changing into red cotton shorts and a white tank top, she sat in the middle of her bed, combing the knots out of her hair and moussed her curls while watching television.

Screw waiting for the family reunion, Joe had to talk to Sophie now. The sight of her with Phil was too much for him. It wasn't right. He wouldn't yell at her though, at least he hoped not. Joe wasn't sure what he'd do once she opened the door. Wearing a dark blue muscle top and a pair of black jeans, his hair was pulled back in a low tail. Knocking on the door, Joe shuffled his feet from one to the other, taking a deep breath and locked eyes with aqua blue as soon as Sophie opened the door. She was so beautiful and that magnolia scent screwed with him yet again. Sophie really wasn't in the mood to have Celeste and Colby playing kissy face in her hotel room and she was fully prepared to ignore the knock. As she laughed and responded to Matt's text, apparently he'd given up the wrestling life and decided to open up his own restaurant called Island Boi BBQ. She giggled again and promised she'd come teach him to mix some Italian in with his island BBQ. The second time the knock was a little harder and she pushed up off the bed and was extremely surprised to see Joe staring back at her.

"Hey." He grunted, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. "We need to talk, may I come in for a minute?"

"Um – sure, come on in. Do you want some water or anything?" She asked as she walked into the mini-kitchen and grabbed a bottled water. When he shook his head no, Sophie walked into the living room and sat down in the chair with her knees drawn up to her chest, waiting for him to speak.

"I heard you were going to the family reunion coming up in a few weeks and…I haven't told anyone what happened between us. I don't care if you go, I'm not here to tell you not to come. You'd be a joy and a half to have around my family actually." Joe meant that, keeping his voice soothing and low. "I just don't want things to be awkward between us. So we gotta come to some kind of middle ground or else things aren't gonna work." Suddenly, grey eyes locked with aqua and Joe felt every tendon in his big body ignite. "Look, I just gotta ask this and you can slap the hell out of me if you want, but…are you in love with me, Sophie? Or am I completely stupid to believe every freaking person telling me that lately?"

Sophie swallowed hard and frowned at the subject Joe had brought up. She felt incredibly nauseas suddenly and stood up, shaking her head. "First off, I would never say anything to anyone about what happened between us. It's a private matter; only to be discussed between the two of us. Second, I wouldn't miss a family reunion with my Uncle and your Dad. They would skin me alive and you should go as well because you know they would skin you alive if you weren't there either. Third, things won't be awkward. If you want me to ignore you the whole time, I'm there I can do that. It's fine with me." She sighed softly, averting her gaze to the floor. "And fourth, yes I am in love with you. I've been in love with you for quite a while, but it's okay I'm adjusting and dealing with it accordingly."

Joe closed his eyes, listening to Sophie confirm what Celeste screamed at him in the car. He had no idea what to do, what to say because he was completely tongue-tied. The pain radiated off of Sophie in waves and it made him sick to his stomach, wishing he could take it away. So much had happened between them, were they really perfect for each other as much as Celeste said? Reaching out, Joe took Sophie's hand and laced their fingers together, his grey eyes boring straight to the depths of her soul.

"I know I've hurt you and I can't take any of it back, but…" He looked down at their hands, running his thumb across the back of it and suddenly locked eyes with Sophie again. "God please don't make me regret this. Please don't make me regret taking another chance." He muttered to himself more than her, exhaling shakily.

Joe hadn't taken a chance on a woman in a long time, thanks to being burned by his ex-girlfriend. Until Sophie, Joe had sex with a woman and then sent her packing, but he couldn't do that this time. This corkscrew curly haired beauty that smelled of magnolias and had hypnotic aqua eyes completely stole his heart away and there wasn't a chance in hell of getting it back.

"I love you too, Sophie. I'm in love with you and...I want you to marry me. I want you to be my wife. I want to give this a real shot. We can have a long engagement, but in the end I want you as mine and only mine."

Sophie's eyes shot open. She wasn't really sure where any of this was coming from, but she wasn't going to question it either. It was what she wanted. She wanted him and suddenly she was getting him. Sophie was getting all or nothing. For the last year, she'd wanted all of Joe and would take it all. Sophie stood up to face Joe and let go of his hand, staring deep into his grey eyes. She watched as he rolled his lips together nervously and for a split second, she did the same thing, suddenly smiling softly.

"I love you, Joe. I would love to be your wife. Tell me when you want to marry me and I'll be there." She pushed up on her toes and captured his lips.

**~!~**

"So you finally did it, huh?" Joe clapped Jon on the back, sitting on the equipment trunk next to him and couldn't help smirking when Jon just gave him a knowing look along with Colby. "Yeah - yeah I did too…"

"Bout time too! I don't know if I would've been able to stop Celeste from kicking the shit out of you if you kept hurting Sophie."

"Yeah well, I'm stubborn what can I say?" Joe still couldn't believe he proposed to Sophie, but didn't regret it a bit. "We're gonna tell everyone at the family reunion this weekend. You guys are more than welcome to come with Celeste and Tayce if you want. The more the merrier. It's her family along with mine."

"I'll talk to Celeste and get back to you about that."

Jon chuckled, patting Joe on the back. "Bro, there is nothing I want more than to see your Dad's face when you tell him your engaged to the same girl you hated. If your Dad and her Uncle don't shit their pants with that news, then they will both fall out on the ground." He chuckled as Joe shook his head at him, deep down knowing Jon was right. "Come on bro, you know it's going to be an uproar of epic proportion. You already know we'll be there, we got your back."

"No, they're both gonna take turns kicking me square in my ass, especially Roddy. He knows what I did to Sophie and how I treated her. I still can't believe half the shit I did…" Joe had A LOT of making up to do to Sophie and it would start with doing whatever she wanted as far as a wedding went. Hell, he would spend the rest of his life making up for all the mistakes he made with her. "Good deal, I'll call Dad before the show tonight and tell him. Colbs, you might wanna go tell Celeste she's coming along this weekend."

"On it, you think I'm stupid?" Colby waved his cell phone in the air with a smirk. "And of course she said she's fine with it. God I love that woman."

"Do we barf now or later?" Joe looked pointedly at Jon.

Jon sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. "Now would be a good time to barf." Jon and Joe made gagging noises as they chuckled.

"Fuck you guys." Colby mumbled as he gave both of them the finger. "Don't tell me you don't love those two other girls down in my woman's dressing room, because neither of you can deny it. You wouldn't be marrying them if you could deny it." Colby's phone beeped. "Jesus, I have to get her to switch to decaf, she's trying to convince the girls to have a triple wedding."

Jon face palmed. "You're girl is gonna get kicked in the ass. Tayce wants to elope in Vegas." He nudged Joe. "What about Sophie? Have you asked her what she wants?"

"Not really. Bad enough I haven't told my Mom yet. She's gonna skin me alive." Joe hadn't been home in quite a while and already knew he had an ass chewing of massive proportions coming his way from his mother. "All Soph told me was she wanted to be married as soon as possible. It doesn't matter what we do, she just wants to be married to me. She's afraid I'm gonna back out on the wedding, I already know it." That was his own damn fault for putting that doubt into her brain. "I mean I'm insane for just popping the question out of nowhere like I did last night, but I couldn't stop it. I love her. And it's been a long time coming honestly. I guess we gotta talk about the wedding plans and shit…"

"Yeah that might be wise considering she wants to be married to you as soon as possible." Colby pointed out, clapping Joe on the back with an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, everything will work out." He watched with Jon as Joe headed down the hallway to call his father about the plans for the weekend.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

When Tayce went to tell Celeste and Sophie about her engagement to Jon, she laughed when both of them flashed rings at her as well. The Shield really was a well-oiled machine. They all proposed to their ladies on the same damn night! Colby felt a little putout, but Celeste just smacked him upside the head and told him to knock it off, that she loved being engaged with her two closest friends. Tayce had a citrine stone cut in the shape of a heart set on a white gold band on her left ring finger. Jon had taken her ring shopping and she picked it out. It had one little diamond on each side of the heart, which represented them.

"Oh my god, I just got the craziest idea!"

"Oh lord, what?" Tayce was hesitant to ask because she had no idea what was going through Celeste's brain.

"We should totally have a triple wedding!"

"Triple wedding?" Sophie echoed with wide eyes. "Lord…and when are we going to do this? Soon I hope…REALLY soon."

Sophie couldn't stop looking at the three stoned diamond ring sitting on her ring finger. The band was silver and the stones were princess cut. Naturally he would do that on purpose. She remembered pinching the hell out of Joe side when he smirked at her. She really was a princess now - his princess.

"Everyone is going to be so surprised at the reunion this weekend."

"Sika, Patricia and Roddy are going to shit when you guys turn up and you're engaged. Especially after all the head-butting you two did in development." Celeste giggled. "I still can't believe he had the stones princess cut. You know he did that on purpose." Her hazel eyes went down to her very large tear shaped pink diamond that was perched on her ring finger.

"I had to stop myself from telling Uncle Roddy over the phone last night." Sophie laughed. "Of course he did. He's been calling me that for almost 2 years we've known each other. At least now it's meant as a term of endearment and not a snarky remark."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Tayce had kept quiet long enough, swallowing hard.

"As a heart attack! Seriously, what did you have in mind for your wedding?"

Tayce chewed her bottom lip, twirling a strand of golden auburn hair around her finger. "I was just gonna elope with Jon to Vegas. Something quick and painless…"

"NO! You can't do that! You two have the EPIC love story! You've been in love for over 10 years with each other! You have to have a beautiful ceremony to celebrate it!"

"Celeste, darling, don't take this the wrong way, but how many cups of coffee have you had today?"

"5 and I'm still going! I haven't slept! Oh by the way, we're all going to the family reunion with you and Joe this weekend, Soph."

Tayce gaped with wide eyes. "OH BY THE WAY?"

"Celeste, I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't want a big wedding. I just want something fast and small. I want Uncle Roddy to give me away because technically he's been my Dad since I was 15. I just want to be married to Joe now. We both waited so long to finally admit our feelings that we're both scared the bottom is going to fall out from underneath us."

Celeste pursed her lips. "What about at the reunion? Both immediate families will be there and your Uncle can still give you away. All you'd have to do is get the marriage certificate, find a pastor to come to the house and marry you."

Sophie blanched. "We haven't even told anyone yet. They would all flip – I think." She shook her head. "Joe and I haven't even really discussed it much. I mean we just got engaged last night. He may just flip out on that thought alone."

"Yeah, I flat out refuse to get married in front of a bunch of strangers too. Truth be told, Vegas is gonna be out of the question. I already told my Mom and she's demanding us to come visit her as soon as we can. So I think we might have to take a trip to Cincinnati soon before she rings my neck." Tayce sighed gently, leaning back against the wall and lit up a smoke, ignoring her friend's disdainful looks. "Sorry, it's a habit that I can't break."

"Well then let's get Joe and Sophie hitched! We'll all be there, all of their family will be there too. It's the perfect opportunity!" Celeste bounced up and down on her heels, grinning from ear to ear. "You just have to show up…and find a dress…and heels…oh and jewelry…oh and you need your hair done too…and…"

Tayce took the opportunity to jet out of the dressing room, feeling sorry for Sophie.

"Hey, where did Tayce go?!"

"Celeste, I love you like the sister I never had, but first switch to decaf and second, plan your own wedding and leave mine alone." She smiled and left the dressing room, running right into Colby. Sophie pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "If you ever give her another cup of regular coffee again, I'll murder you. Go decaf your woman, then marry her and knock her up because that's the ONLY thing that will ever SLOW her down."

Colby chuckled, walking into Celeste's dressing room and could see her moving a 1,000 miles a minute. He grabbed her and pulled her against his body, brown eyes boring into hazel. "What am I going to do with you, woman?" Spinning her around to face him, Colby lifted Celeste and set her on the table that was in her room as he quickly captured her lips to shut her up.

Sophie walked up and saw Joe sitting on the equipment trunk with the cutest look on his face. His brow was furrowed and when he mouthed 'Dad' pointing to his cell, she already knew to keep quiet. They wouldn't be letting anything slip until they got to Pensacola, which would be tomorrow thankfully. Her eyes scrapped over his freshly showered body, feeling the heat flood her instantly.

He'd had his workout two hours before their match, showered and was now sitting in his cargo pants, boots and black beater, which would eventually get covered up with his tactic vest. Until then, Sophie would have a little fun. Joe's hair was down and Sophie stood between his legs with her hands on his thighs, leaning against him. She pushed his hair to the side, exposing the flesh of his neck and softly sealed her mouth to it. The rumble of his low voice gave her chills, her lips moving up to his phone free ear.

"You better get off that phone, Mr. Anoa'i." She purred quietly, digging her nails into his cargo covered thighs.

Jesus Christ, was she trying to kill him? He nodded at whatever his father said, not paying attention since his devious fiancée had other plans in mind. "Gotta go Dad, show is starting. See you tomorrow, give Mom my love." He snapped his cell phone shut and lifted Sophie with ease against him, slamming her back against the wall. It wasn't hard enough to hurt her, but to get the point across that he was aroused. "Princess, you're gonna make me go out there with a hard-on and then a ton of a female fans are gonna swarm me."

He nuzzled her neck with his goatee, lips and mouth, loving the feeling of her body pressed against his. After a moment, Joe pulled back and stared back into the glittering aqua orbs of Sophie. She was his, he couldn't believe it.

"Now what is so important that you made me hang up with my Dad?"

Sophie giggled softly, wrapping her arms around his neck with a smile, staring into his dark grey orbs. "Oh you know maybe a little of this." She kissed his Adam's apple, nibbling gently. "Or a little of that." Her lips brushed against each of his eyebrows. "And definitely a lot of this." Her mouth captured his, her tongue softly caressing his and pulled back before it became too heated. "Is there a crime against kissing my fiancé?" She did like it when he pressed her into the wall with his large body. "Besides, I didn't say you HAD to get off the phone. It was just a suggestion. I mean unless you want your Dad to hear you moan and groan when I kiss that soft spot on your neck that turns you on? You know the spot – this one right here…"

"I have a match tonight." He groaned from low in his throat and passionately captured her lips, getting completely lost in Sophie.

His hands ran down her sides to cup her ass through the red plastic shorts she wore, giving her cheeks a firm squeeze. Her hands delved in his long black tresses and Joe loved the feeling. She would apply the slightest bit of pressure the deeper and passionate the kiss grew. His tongue slipped in her mouth as they tasted, teased and tormented each other for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. Sophie would be pregnant again in no time, they'd already put the word out to the bosses. Pulling back when they both needed oxygen, Joe set Sophie back down on her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"We gotta talk about the wedding plans because I know you've heard that Kaitlyn had this ridiculous idea of us having a triple wedding. I don't want one, I'd rather it is all about us for that day, but I'll do whatever you want. Just say the word, princess."

"I'm not getting married in a triple wedding. That's too much foo-foo fluffy bullshit. I'm a girl, but even that is too much for me." She couldn't help laughing and watched Joe pull on his tactic vest. Sophie stood in front of him, clipping the material around his large body. She enjoyed watching the way his arms and body moved. "Celeste did make another suggestion, but you're probably going to freak out." She chewed her bottom lip nervously. "She suggested getting married at the reunion. I mean, your family will be there and Uncle Roddy will be there and…" She shook her head. "Never mind it's stupid. We just need to wait until we tell the family first. Then we can figure it all out." Her phone beeped, telling her she had to go get ready for the show. "I gotta get going, my match is up first tonight."

Joe nodded, kissing her one last time. "We'll figure it all out."

He watched Sophie walk away and immediately whipped his phone out, deciding to give her exactly what she wanted. Their families were together and he knew his Mom and Roddy's wife could whip something up. After hearing screaming from his mother and father for 10 minutes, which was nearly the length of Sophie's match, Joe finally hung up the phone. They agreed to set everything up and Joe couldn't believe how ecstatic his mother was about Sophie becoming his wife.

**~!~**

Jon watched as Joe walked off to call his father and looked down the hallway, spotting Tayce walking up. He quickly grabbed her hand and snatched her into the dressing room, closing and locking the door. He backed her against the door as his lips worked their magic on her, his mouth devouring hers.

"My lips missed you." He rumbled against her neck as he planted a hand on each side of her body, framing her against the door. "Hell I might as well tell the truth - All of me missed you."

"All of me missed you too." Tayce moaned softly as his mouth teased her neck and her fingers buried in his haphazard dishwater blonde hair.

It was wet and messy for the moment, but once he went out to the ring, it would be slicked back. Jon lifted her up as her back slid against the door and wrapped her legs around his waist, nestling comfortably between her legs. She wore the Shield's new t-shirt with a pair of dark blue cargo pants. Jeans weren't permitted backstage, but cargo pants were since she was now officially the Shield's personal assistant. Jon insisted on it and even threatened Stephanie he would quit if Tayce wasn't switched back over to him. Stephanie compromised naturally and made Tayce the Shield's valet along with personal assistant. She didn't mind it, having walked Jon to the ring before and knew it would be good for business since Jon jumped script to cart her ass out of the ring the previous night. Luckily, the bosses didn't put his ass in a sling for it.

"No sex, Mox." Tayce pulled back, placing her hands against his massive bare chest and licked her lips. "You have a match tonight, no sex until AFTER we're back at the hotel. Then you can have your way with me like you did last night…and this morning…and this afternoon…" She pressed a chaste kiss on his face every time she paused between words. "Now we have to talk about something important, so kindly put the blood back in your upper head for now please."

Jon chuckled, kissing her lips once more. "Wow no sex until we get back to the hotel. That's not what you were saying last night," He paused, kissing her neck. "Or this morning." He pressed a kiss to the other side of her neck. "Or this afternoon."

His mouth made contact with hers again, pulling away when she slapped his chest. Jon was going to put Tayce down, but why bother? He'd have her against the door again after their talk. He walked over and sat down in the metal folding chair with her straddling his lap.

"We seem to find ourselves in this position a lot in the last 24 hours." He pushed some of her hair behind her left ear. "Okay the blood has momentarily returned to its correct location, but I'm not guaranteeing for how long. What's on your mind, Tayce?"

"Just because we're engaged doesn't mean you have to stop calling me boss lady. I miss that actually." Tayce admitted openly, pressing soft kisses over his face and finally rested her forehead against his. "My Mom called today while you were working out with the guys and…I told her. I couldn't keep it from her. And she's demanding that on our next couple days off we come back to Cincinnati because she wants to see both of us." Tayce pulled back, running the pad of her thumb across his soft red lips that she'd become addicted to. "She loves you as much as me, she's happy for us, but she just wants to see us. She's lonely, I think."

Jon smiled, running his finger down her cheek. "I have a really good idea. What if we got your Mom a plane ticket and brought her to Pensacola? All of us are going to be together for a very long time. I think it would be nice for her to meet everyone. Joe's family is so welcoming and I know Sophie's Uncle will no doubt enjoy your mother's company. Plus, it will give her a chance to get to know the 4 people who mean the most in our lives as well. I know your Mom will just love all of them as much as she loves us."

"Really?" Tayce fell in love with Jon even more at that moment, if it was possible, and kissed him soundly. "That sounds terrific, but you have to ask Joe's permission first. And Sophie's. I don't want to step on their toes and this is supposed to be a family reunion with their two families. I don't want to intrude and…" She sighed when Jon pressed a finger to her lips and replaced it a second later with his mouth, the kiss soft and full of promise. "Once you get their permission, I'll get the plane ticket for her. So you'd better set me down and get to work tracking down Joe."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Just as Joe got off the phone, Jon walked up to him and could already see the wheels turning in the man's mind. "What's on your mind, bro?" He asked, raising a black brow.

Jon smirked, noticing the big man kept his eyes on his fiancée on the monitor the whole time he was on the phone and stepped up once he hung up. Even as he spoke, Joe's eyes never left the monitor, watching Sophie like a hawk. "Hey big man, I wanted to run something by you. Tayce's mother hasn't exactly seen us in a long time and we would both really love it if she came to meet you, Sophie, Celeste and Colby along with the rest of the family. She never really had anyone she could trade proud Momma wrestling stories with. I think it would be really great if we could invite her to Pensacola with all of us, but we wanted to make sure it was okay with you and Sophie first."

"Sure man, we don't care. The more the merrier, like I told Colbs when he asked permission."

Joe chuckled at Sophie's text, which let him know she was alright from her match against AJ, nodding. He was worried about that elbow to the mouth she received and wanted to maim AJ for that. Now that Sophie belonged to him and they were getting married, Joe felt an overwhelming protectiveness over her. He knew it would eventually get on Sophie's nerves and they'd be back to fighting, but makeup sex was indeed the best kind.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning, so you might want to tell her to get on a flight as soon as she can tonight."

Jon immediately whipped his phone out and texted Tayce, excitement igniting his eyes.

Looking down at her phone, Tayce smiled when Jon sent her a text. **Get that woman on a plane pronto!** She laughed and immediately called her Mom, waiting for her to pick up.

Marcie looked over at the phone while knitting something and set it down, answering since the caller ID flashed her daughter's name. "Hey honeybun, everythin' alright?" She had a southern accent to her voice due to being born and raised in Alabama.

"Yeah, wonderful actually. Listen Mom, Jon had a beyond brilliant idea and I hope you don't pass it up."

"Well what is it, sugar?"

Tayce explained to her Mom about what Jon had in mind and chewed her bottom lip, waiting for her mother's response. "I swear, by the time you get to the airport, a plane ticket will be waiting for you. But you have to hurry and pack now. I'll try to get you one tonight and let you know if it has to be in the morning."

Marcie felt tears sting her eyes at Jon's generosity. "I'm so glad you're marrying that boy, Tayce. I'll be there. Just let me know when to leave for the airport."

"Okay, I'll text you the information, so start packing. We'll be in Pensacola for Wednesday and Thursday and have to leave Friday morning to go back on the road for work."

"I am on my way upstairs now. I'll see you soon, baby doll."

Tayce wished her mother well and hung up, calling the airport to try to book her mother a first class red eye flight to their location. She lucked out and immediately texted her mother the information, letting her know a flight was leaving that night at 10 PM, so she would get in around 1 or 2 AM at the latest. They would be at the airport waiting for her. She couldn't wait to see her mother again and knew Jon was excited as well, having a feeling this weekend would be unforgettable.

Tayce had no idea how right she was.

The smile immediately disappeared from her face when her phone rang, seeing the name Sami flashing across her caller ID. Great. She hadn't had a chance to call Sami and let him know everything that was going on with her and Jon. The engagement had only happened last night and they were busy ring shopping prior to the show today. Not to mention Jon had to work out and Tayce had work to do on the Shield's upcoming schedule since they were going overseas in a few short weeks.

"Hi Sami." She greeted softly, closing her eyes when he didn't say anything for a minute.

"Is it true?" His voice was tense and Tayce could feel the anger pouring from him over the phone.

He knew. Tayce shut her eyes and fought back tears, hating to hear the amount of pain in his voice. "How did you find out?" She asked resignedly, staring down at her beautiful citrine ring, somehow trying to generate courage from it.

Sami snorted, pulling at his spiked black hair. "I just got a WONDERFUL phone call from your goddamn fiancé. I had to spend a half an hour hearing him talk about what an asshole he was toward you and how blind he was that he didn't see what he had in front of him. Do you have ANY idea how sickening that is? Then he asked me to be his Best Man when you guys elope."

"W-WHAT?!" Tayce shouted in surprise, covering her mouth with her hand and swallowed incredibly hard, feeling her heart rate accelerate. "W-What did you say?"

Scoffing, Sami rolled his eyes and slammed back another shot of Tequila, having gone out to buy a bottle after his phone call from a gushing Jonathan Good. "What the fuck do you think, Tayce?" He retorted, gritting his teeth. "I accepted, he's my friend after all."

Oh god! Tayce felt sick to her stomach and had to sit down, trying to wrap her mind around everything. "Why would you do that?" She demanded, amber eyes wide in bewilderment.

"Because I won't believe that mother fucker wants to marry you until I see it happen with my own fucking eyes." Sami spat angrily, pouring himself another shot and hunched forward, sitting on his bed in the current motel he was in. "Why, Tayce? Why are you marrying him? Look at everything he's done to you. I thought the last time we were together, we really had something. Or was it just sex again?"

Tayce blinked, feeling hot tears course down her cheeks. "I told you nothing had changed." She whispered, not trusting her voice at the moment and felt like the lowest piece of trash right now. "You said you didn't care…"

"Fuck Tayce, I only said that so you wouldn't toss me out the fucking door. I told you, I'm in love with you and I want you. That didn't change, not now – not ever. And I won't give up until I see and hear that son of a bitch make his vows."

Sami didn't believe Jon would go through with the wedding. It wasn't Jon's style. The man had once said he would never get married and no slut would ever hold him down. Well apparently, one woman had managed to change his mind about all of it and Sami was about to lose her.

"Don't marry him."

"Why not?" Tayce sniffled, standing up since she regained the feeling in her legs. "I love him, Sami. Why wouldn't I marry him?"

"Because you deserve better." Sami said honestly, standing up and walked over to stare out the window, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "He couldn't even be the one to propose to you, Tayce. You had to do it. And do you know why? Because you know deep down inside and in your gut he'd never do it. He'd never propose marriage to you. So you jumped the gun and of course he said yes because he doesn't want to hurt you anymore than he already has. You don't deserve that. You deserve a man who has enough courage to get down on his fucking knee and ask you the right way."

No matter how much she wanted to argue with Sami about this, Tayce knew he spoke the truth. Jon did love her, she fully believed that, but he would never propose marriage. Had he only said yes because he didn't want to hurt her anymore? Or did he actually want to be tied to her for the rest of their lives in every way? Tayce hated Sami because he was planting all of these doubts into her head and she had no idea what to believe now or what to think.

"I know I'm not Mox." Sami continued after a long period of silence, knowing Tayce hadn't hung up on him. "I know I'm not the almighty Jonathan Good that is so fucking perfect in every way, but goddamn it I actually do love you. How do you know he's not lying to you about that, huh? How the fuck do you know he actually loves you, Tayce? Did you say it first or did he?"

"I did…" Tayce admitted, remembering the night she exploded on Jon and revealed her feelings, only for him to push her away. "I can't help who I love, Sami. You have no idea how many nights I've laid awake praying for my love to disappear for Jon. How much I wished it could be you. But it didn't happen and my feelings for him have only grew stronger. I-I can't live without him…"

Sami never understood Tayce's deep devotion to Jon and never would. "There's a reason I called you tonight. It's not just about the fact I'm now your fiancé's Best Man either." Sami knew he wouldn't get through to Tayce right now, but he had a plan – one that hopefully wouldn't blow up in his face.

"What is it then?" Tayce wiped her tears away, hating that Sami had gotten under her skin.

"I'm leaving the Indies. I gotta call from the WWE and I'm going into their developmental system. When I came to see you in Tampa, there was a reason I was down there. I lied about CZW being in town. I went for a tryout match and they liked what they saw apparently. So hopefully by spring, I'll be in developmental. So I'm moving to Tampa. Already got an apartment and it's not far from Jon's." Sami explained, lighting up a much-needed cigarette and could hear the silence on the other line, knowing he just shocked Tayce.

Sami was…and he was going to…and they were…Tayce could not get a single coherent thought to form in her racing mind, not sure what to think or feel about this situation. He was going to live in Tampa and he would be close by? Sami was actually leaving the Indies – CZW – behind to pursue a career in the WWE like Jon had? What had made him decide to do this? Was it their last time together? Did she somehow make Sami believe if he followed Jon's footsteps she would leave Jon's side for his?

"I-I don't know what to say…" Tayce honestly didn't and suddenly left the dressing room, heading outside for a much-needed nicotine fix.

Sami smirked, loving how he rendered Tayce speechless and took a drag from his own cigarette. "You don't have to say anything, precious. I just thought I'd let you know that I'm on my way to the WWE. And I want you to know that you do have options. You don't have to be stuck with an asshole that may or may not love you and may or may not want to marry you. You deserve certainty and I can be that for you, if you give me a chance."

"That's why you did it then." Tayce arrived outside and stopped short at what Sami said, having booked it down the hallway as the fresh night air engulfed her whole. "You think just because you work for the same company as Jon I'll leave him for you? What part of 'I'm in love with him' do you not understand? I can't just turn my feelings off for him and put them on you. That's not the way it works, Sami."

"Time will tell, Tay. And no, I didn't get the tryout for you, though that is a major bonus." Sami admitted openly, shrugging when Tayce scoffed over the phone. "Just because you have a ring on your finger that you had to pick out doesn't mean jack shit. Until you are actually married to him, everything is fair game."

A throat clearing behind Tayce made her jump, whipping around to stare back at Randy Orton. "I have to go, Sami. I'll talk to you later." She hung up the phone before he could respond and slid it in one of her cargo pockets. "Something I can help you with, Randy?"

Randy smirked, holding up his pack of cigarettes and slid one out, lighting the tip of it. "Just thought we could talk for a minute." Stephanie had informed him and Stephen that their valet/assistant had gone back to the Shield, which didn't set well with him.

"What about?" Tayce flicked ash from her cigarette and took another drag, trying to get the phone call from Sami out of her mind.

"I can't help thinking how unprofessional it is that you keep bouncing back and forth between wrestlers. I mean, I know you're engaged to the rookie. Congrats by the way." He didn't sound sincere at all, venom dripping in his tone. "But you really should think about what the right career path is for you, sweetheart."

Amber eyes narrowed slightly at Randy as Tayce pursed her lips tightly together, arching a slow brow. "Is that right? Well I'll have you know that I've been by Jon's side for a very long time. I had a momentary relapse in judgment and let Stephanie bully me into working for you and Stephen. You know as well as I do I never wanted to do that. And he doesn't seem to have a problem with it, but you do. Why is that?" First Sami and now Randy Orton, Tayce really couldn't catch a break tonight.

Was Randy really going to have to spell it out for her? "So you'd rather be with a bunch of rookie losers that probably won't make it past 2 years instead of allying yourself with a veteran, not to mention one of the locker room leaders?" Yes he was smug and had no problem voicing whatever was on his mind – good or bad. "It's not just Jon who is in the company now. You have a career too." He stepped forward, closing the distance between them and reached out to slide a finger down her cheek. "I could definitely make it worth your while, Tayce."

Tayce recoiled instantly, taking a few steps back and immediately shook her head, flicking her half-smoked cigarette away. "I've taken my chances on Jon for over 10 years and he hasn't failed me yet. He's dominated every Independent company out there and held countless titles. You know what I think? I think you're scared. You're petrified that the rookies are going to steal your thunder and make it bigger in this business than you ever dreamed imaginable. So do yourself a favor and focus on them instead of me, VET." Snorting, Tayce stormed past him back inside the building to do her segment with the Shield, not believing how this night had progressed.

Randy watched her walk back inside and felt his eyes narrow, his blood boiling. Did she actually think she'd get the last word? He would be seeing Tayce again, only next time he would make sure she'd use her smart mouth more productively. Smirking wickedly, he headed back inside to prepare for his match that night against the Shield, deciding it was time to send a few messages to the rookies.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

After watching the Shield decimate Randy Orton and Stephen in a 3-on-2 handicapped match, all 3 couples parted ways for the evening to get ready to head to Pensacola in the morning. They weren't needed for Smackdown! and neither was Sophie or Celeste, so that gave everyone an extra day off. It rarely happened, so they were taking full advantage of it. Joe and Sophie were flying out to Pensacola in the morning to relax at Joe's house before the big family reunion on Wednesday. Jon, Tayce, Colby and Celeste were flying to Tampa for one day to swap out clothes, pick things up they needed along with Tayce's mother at the airport and then flying out early Wednesday morning to Pensacola. They could drive from Tampa, but it would take 6 hours and Tayce knew Jon couldn't handle being in a car that long, not on his day off anyway.

Tayce hadn't told Jon about her phone call with Sami or the tense talk she had with Randy Orton. There was no reason to get him riled up with Orton, the guy was a dickhead and egotistical, nothing more. He was harmless. Tayce refused to worry about him or anything he said, instead focusing on the fact her mother was coming to Florida to see them. She was more nervous about Sami moving to Tampa and working for the WWE. Also, he was Jon's Best Man whenever they decided to go to Vegas and elope just as Sophie was her Maid of Honor.

Standing in the airport, Jon couldn't sit still for 5 seconds and paced, his hands moving all over the place. It was his way of dealing with not being able to have a cigarette and Tayce found it adorable. She knew he was nervous to see her Mom again because it'd been quite a few years since they saw each other. Also, Jon had taken Tayce away from her home, everything and everyone she knew in order to pursue his love for wrestling. Tayce knew he was afraid her mother resented him and, honestly, she had no idea if she did or not. On top of his anxiety, Marcie's plane had been delayed until 8 AM that morning, so her plane wasn't landing until noon or a little after.

"Mox, you're going to put a hole in the floor." Tayce pointed out, wearing burnt orange capris and a matching short sleeved top, leaving her golden auburn hair down.

"I can't help it." Jon grunted, not stopping and halted when he turned to keep pacing, nearly plowing into Tayce. "Christ woman, wear a bell."

Tayce sighed, running her hands up and down his arms, trying to ease his mind a little. "You have to relax. My Mom isn't going to yell at you or anything. She loves you."

"How do you fucking know that?" Jon shot back, taking his baseball cap off and slid it back on to keep his haphazard dishwater blonde curls out of his eyes. "Tayce, do you suddenly have amnesia?"

Tayce scoffed, placing her hands on her hips with a scowl. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I took you away from EVERYTHING, including her. She has every right to hate me and probably fucking does." What the hell was he thinking inviting Marcie to Florida for Joe's big family reunion? "And now the son of a bitch who took her daughter away from her is about to be her son-in-law."

"But that's what I want and she knows it. Look at me." Tayce reached up to cup his face in her soft hands, forcing their eyes to meet. "Mom is happy about the engagement, I already told you that. I love you and as long as I'm happy, that's all she cares about. You're going to give yourself a stroke if you don't sit down and breathe."

"Easier said than done, boss lady." Jon muttered, not able to pull away from her hypnotic citrine eyes and let her guide him over to sit down in one of the chairs. "What are you-?"

Tayce pressed a finger to his lips and straddled his lap, her mouth covering his seconds later. She had to calm him down somehow or get his mind on something else besides her mother's pending arrival. This was the only way she could think of and could feel it already working as Jon's body slowly began relaxing against her. His strong hands slid down her sides to grip her hips, pulling her closer and Jon groaned as soon as his tongue touched hers. Jon had to admit that Tayce's new methods for calming him down worked wonders and she was becoming his new addiction, especially her sweet mouth.

"There we go." Tayce murmured after breaking the kiss, caressing his shirt covered chest with one hand and massaging the back of his neck with the other, resting her forehead against his. "Do you want me to run my fingers through your hair so you stay calm?"

"No, what you're doing now is working." Jon admitted in a low raspy voice, stroking her back to keep his hands occupied, softly kissing her. "Do you really think she's fine with us being engaged?"

Tayce smiled, nodding. "When I told her on the phone, she started crying and congratulated us. She's the reason why I'm having second thoughts about eloping to Vegas."

Pulling back a little, Jon could see the apprehension in her eyes and wondered what was going through her beautiful mind. "So you want an actual wedding? The dress, cake, flowers and all that bullshit?" He never pegged Tayce as a bridal type, but then again he never thought she'd fall in love with him either.

Tayce shrugged, lowering her eyes from his and couldn't stop Sami's words from flooding her mind. What if Jon had only agreed to marry her because she'd been the one to pop the question? What if he didn't really love her as much as he said? His touch and kisses said he did, but Tayce had been the one to drop the L bomb first. She officially hated Sami for putting all these doubts into her head and knew he did it on purpose, fighting back a scowl.

"I don't know, maybe? I mean, I am my mother's only child and it would break her heart if she couldn't see us get married." Tayce pointed out with a shrug, honestly not knowing if she wanted a full-fledged wedding gown or not.

"Well I for one would love to see my baby girl in a weddin' dress."

Tayce knew that southern accent anywhere and immediately felt tears sting her eyes, standing up from Jon's lap. "Hi Momma." She murmured, staring into deep ocean blue eyes of the older woman that gave birth to her.

Marcie Stevens smiled widely at her daughter, wearing light blue slacks and a white short sleeved top, her golden auburn hair pulled back in two clips. The only difference between her and Tayce was the shades of their eyes. Tayce had gotten her rich citrine shade from her sperm donor, who took off on them when Tayce was just a baby. Hence why Tayce had her last name instead of the man that helped give her life.

"Come here, sugar plum." Marcie extended her arms to her daughter and closed her eyes as soon as Tayce's arms wrapped tightly around her, holding the back of her head.

Tayce couldn't help crying as soon as she felt her mother's loving embrace, thankful she wasn't angry with her for leaving home. Truth be told, Tayce hadn't been back to Cincinnati since she left with Jon at age 16. She called her mother from a payphone at a gas station to inform her mother she left the state with Jon. Instead of panicking and berating her, all Marcie said was she loved Tayce and she hoped she was making the right decision. Marcie wasn't an ordinary mother and understood that everything happened in life for a reason. Her daughter was meant to leave with Jon and now they were both extremely successful in one of the biggest empires in the world. So obviously, Marcie hadn't done too badly as a mother, even though she received a lot of grief from her family down in Georgia regarding Tayce's life decisions.

"It's so great seeing you, Momma." Tayce whispered, not letting her go for 5 minutes straight and finally pulled back, once again staring into her blue eyes. They were exactly the same height, standing at 5'8 respectively. "I'm really glad you're here."

"Me too, baby girl, me too." Marcie patted her cheek gently and looked past at her at the young man she once clothed and fed on a daily basis. "My goodness, Jonathan, you need to stop growin', boy."

Jon cracked a hesitant smile back at Marcie, a woman he considered as close to a mother, besides Patricia, as he'd ever get. "Hey Mom."

He knew better than to call her Marcie or Miss Stevens, stepping into her outstretched arms and bent low enough so she didn't have to strain to reach him. He was 6'4, which wasn't exactly short. Marcie gave him a full loving embrace and kissed his cheek, patting it the same way she did Tayce. It really did Tayce's heart good to see her mother accept Jon so easily. Then again, she had accepted Jon into their lives since the moment the little scrawny dishwater curly blonde kid followed them home from the park one day.

"I've been told that quite a few times." Jon joked, pulling back to stare down in her soft ocean blues and looked at Tayce, immediately wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "How about we get outta of here and head back to the apartment where you can get settled in until tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a fine idea, honey."

"Why don't you take Mom out to the car and I'll grab her bags?" Jon suggested softly, kissing Tayce's forehead and nodded when she asked if he was sure. "Absolutely, I'll meet you guys outside in a few."

Tayce beamed and leaned up, brushing her lips against his softly. "Thanks, Mox." She winked, wrapping an arm around her mother's shoulders and guided her out of the airport. "I hope you don't mind, but we gotta stop at the grocery store on the way to the apartment, Momma."

"Not a problem, baby girl. Whatever you need to do is fine with me." Marcie replied, letting her daughter guide her out of the airport toward their car, which was a little bit of a walk, but nothing she couldn't handle. "What's botherin' you, Tayce?" She asked once they were seated in the car and Tayce had turned the air conditioning on to cool things off.

Raising a brow, Tayce wondered why her mother asked her that and looked away when she received the 'mother knows all' look. "I hate how well you can read me." She mumbled, leaning back against the seat and rolled the window down, lighting up a cigarette to get her thought process on track.

If the smoking bothered Marcie, she didn't say anything and simply reached over, holding her daughter's hand. "Talk to me, sugar plum. What's going on? Are you and Jon…alright?" She honestly didn't know how else to ask except straightforward.

"I hope so." Tayce took a long drag and rubbed her temples with her fingers, blowing the smoke out of the window so it didn't go in her mother's face. "I just…Okay fine, do you remember Sam Johnston? He was the kid that ran around with Jon when we were younger and we all became friends?"

Marcie nodded. "Yes, but he prefers to be called Sami, right?"

"Yes, well Sami ended up working for one of the Indy companies Jon and I did called CZW and…we had a fling, of sorts. People thought we were together in a relationship and it sort of stemmed into one." Tayce explained, flicking ash out of the window after taking another drag, really needing the nicotine fix since she was having a rather…difficult talk with her mother. "I used him, Momma. I used him because I was in love with Jon. I've loved Jon since I was 16 – hell, maybe even before that. And Sami knew how I felt about him. He was actually in love with a girl named Chrissy, but she only wanted him in her bed and nothing more. Anyway, somehow Sami ended up falling in love with me, I guess. When I left CZW with Jon to come to the WWE, who we work for now, I left Sami behind and things ended badly between us. Well he came to visit Jon and I at our new apartment here in Tampa a few weeks ago and we ended up sleeping together. I told him nothing had changed and he said he didn't care. Then he calls me last night and informs me he just got signed to a WWE developmental contract, which is how Jon got his foot in the door and he was moving to Tampa. He said I have options, that I don't have to settle for Jon and I have no idea what to do about it."

Marcie took a moment to digest all of that, not having a clue her daughter and Sam Johnston had a sexual relationship. "What exactly did Sami say to you?" She decided to start with that, keeping her voice calm and soft – motherly almost.

"He said I deserve better than to be with a man who doesn't even know what he wants." Tayce lowered her eyes to her lap, closing her eyes. "I'm the one who proposed to Jon and I'm the one who said 'I love you' first. Jon didn't initiate any of it. What if he only agreed to marry me because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings? What if he really doesn't love me the way I do him, Momma?"

"The only way you're going to get those answers is if you ask him, Tayce." Marcie said seriously, not appreciating the fact Sami was trying to put doubts into her daughter's head. "Sami told you he loves you, didn't he?"

"Yes." Tayce whispered, not able to deny it and knew her mother would see right through her if she tried. "And I don't love him. I told him that if I could channel my love for Jon to someone else, it would be him because I do care for him a great deal. I wouldn't have engaged in a sexual relationship if I didn't. And it just sort of…happened. I never expected to jump into bed with Sami, especially since we grew up together, but…I don't regret it either. He helped me through heartbreak, especially when Jon would bring another woman into his bed for a one night stand. Sami was there to ease my pain and heartache because they were extremely difficult times."

At that moment, Jon came jogging out of the airport toward the car with Marcie's bag in hand and a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. "Follow your heart, baby girl. That's all I can really tell you." Marcie said, squeezing Tayce's hand and slipped out of the passenger seat to sit in the back so Tayce could take it over while Jon drove.

"Next stop grocery store." Jon announced, winking over at Tayce and put the car in drive, heading out of the airport parking lot.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Home sweet home." Tayce sighed with relief, walking into their apartment and tossed her keys on the small table by the door.

Landing at 11 AM, then having to wait for Tayce's mother to land at noon and grocery shopping on top of it, Tayce was exhausted to say the least. Jon wanted to grill up some burgers for dinner, so Tayce decided to get a small bag of potatoes to cut up so she could fry them to go with the burgers. They decided on making some grilled chicken salads for lunch since dinner wouldn't be for a little while.

"Come on, Momma. I'll show you your room and then I'll start lunch for us. I know Jon has to be starving." Tayce winked over her shoulder at Jon, seeing the smirk curve his lips and guided her mother down the hallway.

"Oh this is lovely, baby girl." Marcie commented with a smile, not believing she had a beautiful ocean view in her room and walked over to stare out of it. "I had no idea where you lived."

"I fell in love with it as soon as we scouted for apartments together." Jon said from behind, setting Marcie's bags by the dresser. "I had to beg Tayce to take it, though something tells me she was just yanking my chain."

Tayce chuckled, nudging him playfully and felt him kiss the top of her head, his arm wrapping around her waist. "So you finally caught on, eh Mox?"

Marcie raised a brow, tilting her head slightly. "Why do you call him that? His name is Jon."

"Mox was his wrestling name when we worked in the Independent circuit, Momma." Tayce explained, knowing she wouldn't understand because she didn't know anything about the wrestling business. "His wrestles under the name Dean Ambrose now though in the WWE."

"Why did they make him change his name?"

"I've asked myself that question countless times, but it is what it is. Whatever the WWE wants, they get and I'm not the only Indy wrestler to come into the WWE where they changed the wrestler's name." Jon said, seeing Tayce raise a brow up at him and smirked. "Colby. His name was Tyler Black in the Indies, I'm surprised you don't remember that, boss lady."

Tayce flushed with embarrassment, not believing that slipped her mind and elbowed him in the side, smirking when he grunted. "Don't laugh at me, it's not nice."

Marcie chuckled at their antics, patting Jon on the arm. "You best feed this boy before he withers away, baby girl." She stated, already heading out of the bedroom toward the kitchen.

Immediately pulling away from her mother, Tayce quickly followed her down the hallway. "Mom, why don't you relax and let Jon and I take care of lunch?" She suggested, sighing when Marcie waved her off dismissively.

"Nonsense, darlin'. It's been how long since your Momma has had a chance to cook for you? I'm happy to do it. Though, I could use your help in pointin' where everythin' is for me around here." She shook her finger as soon as Jon walked into the kitchen. "Nope, you go sit down and relax. We've got this handled, Jonathan."

"Are you sure, Mom?" Jon was hesitant, especially when Tayce shot him a pleading look, but he knew better than to argue with Marcie. "Sorry baby, she calls the shots."

"Jon!" Tayce groaned, emanating a deep chuckle from him and she shot a glare in his direction next. "This isn't fair…"

"Of course it is. You need to learn to cook for your man if you plan on gettin' married, baby girl. Now hand me a big bowl and get one of them beers outta the fridge for Jon. I'm sure he could use one." Marcie ordered gently but firmly, already starting on shredding the lettuce for the salads while Tayce did what she was told.

"Thanks, boss lady." Jon murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her lips and cracked open his beer, taking a long swig.

"You owe me later." Tayce whispered loud enough to where only he heard and smiled when he nodded, shoving him gently out of the kitchen toward the living room.

Marcie gave the fresh tomatoes to Tayce to cut up while she did the eggs, having bought hardboiled, but they weren't peeled. After the eggs, tomatoes and lettuce were done, they started cutting up the boneless chicken to cook on the stove. Tayce pulled the bottle of bacon bits from the cupboard because she liked bacon on her salad. It took an hour to prepare everything, but it was worth it and gave Tayce quality time with her mother. They added spinach and some cut up cucumbers too, drizzling everything with honey mustard dressing.

"Wow this looks great!" Jon exclaimed, his mouth watering at the huge bowl of chicken salad and sat down at the kitchen table.

Normally, when it was just Jon and Tayce, they ate in the living room watching a movie or some program on television. But Marcie was raised to eat at the table and hadn't broken that tradition, so Jon and Tayce respected it. They each made their plates and dug in, everyone starving because they hadn't ate since earlier that morning. Making small conversation to catch up on things, naturally, the subject of Tayce and Jon's wedding came up because Marcie was incredibly excited about it.

"You really should try to see your Aunt Suzanne the next time you're in Atlanta, Tayce." Marcie suggested softly, knowing her sister wasn't getting any younger and immediately perked up. "You said you were havin' a weddin' right?"

Tayce knew this was coming and lowered her eyes to her plate, shrugging. "I don't know, Momma. We sort of wanted to elope to Vegas…"

Marcie raised a slow brow and set her fork down, taking a long swig of her ice cold lemonade. They whipped up a batch while waiting for the chicken to cook since Marcie was not a big drinker. Tayce had a much needed beer and she would end up hitting something harder by the end of the day with the turn this conversation took.

"We haven't really discussed anything." Tayce mumbled, staring down at the citrine ring on her left finger and looked up with a smile plastered on her face. "I'm sure we'll figure it out though."

"Tayce, you already know you're my only child and marriage only happens once, maybe twice if you're lucky. I've always dreamed of seein' you walk down the aisle in a beautiful white dress. And it would do your Momma's heart good if you did that. Elopin' cheapens the moment and this is once in a lifetime." Marcie wasn't trying to put Tayce on the spot or give her a guilt trip, but she refused to keep her mouth shut either. "It doesn't have to be anythin' big, but if you have a weddin', then a reception needs to happen as well."

"Alright Momma, we'll talk about it and let you know what we decide."

The last thing Tayce wanted to do was push Jon into something he wasn't comfortable with. He was very fickle and Tayce was afraid he'd call off the engagement if she didn't do what he wanted. It may have been selfish, but Tayce refused to lose him and if he didn't want a wedding, then there wouldn't be one. Tayce was willing to break her mother's heart and shatter her dream in order to make Jon her husband. As much as she loved her mother, she loved Jon more and wondered if he felt the same way, if he was as passionate about her as she was him.

After a fulfilling lunch with no leftovers, Marcie announced she was going to take a nap and asked Tayce to wake her in a few hours. Tayce nodded and cleaned up the mess with Jon's help, rinsing the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. Once that was done, Jon grabbed Tayce's upper arm and whirled her around to face him, his mouth descending on hers. He made sure to set the beer down so it didn't spill all over and groaned, his hands sliding down her back to grip her beautiful backside. Tayce felt Jon lift her seconds later, her legs wrapping around his waist as their mouths remained attached, burying her fingers in his curly dishwater blonde hair.

"How about a shower?" Tayce mumbled against his lips, loving the sheer power Jon used to hold her like this. "I'm so dirty and could use some help washing my back."

Jon growled, knowing what Tayce really wanted and nibbled on her ear, hearing her try to muffle her moans. "Where nobody can hear us, you mean." He corrected with a smirk, turning and headed down the hallway toward their master bedroom that had a master bathroom attached.

Setting Tayce on the bathroom sink, Jon gave her another passionate kiss while cupping her sex through the cotton shorts she wore. "Remove them or I will rip them off." He ordered in a low raspy voice and stepped away to start up the shower sprays, wanting to drown out their upcoming noise as much as possible.

Tayce didn't hesitate and had her cotton shorts and panties off before Jon turned around, staying on the sink with her thighs spread wide for him. She went to remove her top and Jon stopped her, standing right between her beautiful thighs. Sliding his hands beneath her top, Jon didn't remove it right away and instead found the clasp of her bra. With a flick of his wrist, it became undone as the lace material hung off of her. Then Jon proceeded to pull both her top and bra off at the same time, tossing both articles of clothing over his shoulder. Her hands instantly went to the belt buckle on his jeans and unfastened it, then unsnapped his jeans, sliding his zipper down. Jon didn't stop her and watched as her hands pushed his jeans and boxers down as far as she could bend over, smelling her dripping arousal. Finishing the job, Jon already had his shirt off from earlier and stepped out of his own clothes, leaving both of them completely naked.

"How about we continue this in the shower?" Jon asked, not waiting for Tayce's response as he lifted her up, loving how her legs instantly went around his waist.

Tayce welcomed the hot water as it cascaded over both of them, loving how they had a direct overhead shower instead of one that was bolted to the wall. It was so nice, not to mention spacious. Jon fell in love with the shower as soon as they got the apartment and, honestly, so did Tayce. Capturing her mouth again, Jon simply couldn't get enough of this beautiful woman, pressing her against the shower wall as their tongues devoured each other.

"Set me down." She mumbled against his mouth and smiled when he complied with her, groaning in the process. "Shush Mox, I won't leave you hanging." Tayce promised, feather lightly gliding her nails down his muscular chest and loved the feeling of his muscles rippling beneath her touch.

Everything about Jon she loved and nothing would change it. Slowly lowering herself to her knees on the shower floor, Tayce became eyelevel with Jon's beautiful rock hard cock, enjoying how he kept it trimmed just for her. How thoughtful. He deserved a reward. Tayce licked her lips hungrily, running her hands up the back of his muscular thighs until they came in contact with his perfect backside. She smirked as he flexed it teasingly in her hands and proceeded to flick her tongue out against the tip of his cock.

"Mmm Tayce…" Jon groaned out instantly, feeling his eyes drift closed at the feeling of her sweet mouth teasing his cock. "You want that beautiful mouth to fuck my cock, baby huh?"

"I plan on doing much more than that." She assured him in a low sultry voice, returning the task at hand.

Using her mouth only and keeping her hands planted on his backside, Tayce slid her tongue from the tip of his cock to the skin where his cock met his pelvis and back down again. She did this until her tongue reached every crevice of his cock, not leaving any area untouched. She saw the pre-cum glistening on the tip of his cock and swiped it away, moaning at the taste. Tayce suddenly wanted him to explode inside of her mouth, wanting to taste him fully on her tongue the same way he'd made her cum in waves in his. Jon buried his fingers in her golden auburn tresses, trying not to jerk his hips because he knew Tayce was exploring first. This wasn't the first blowjob she'd given him, but he still didn't want to do anything to hurt her. Tayce loved his fingers in her hair and began suckling on the tip, squeezing his backside as her nails left crescent indentations in his skin.

"Oh yeah…oh fuck yeah, Tayce…" Jon growled, the pleasure overtaking him as she continued pleasing him with her mouth, watching her memorized. "Goddamn your mouth feels so good on my cock, baby…"

"Good, as long as my baby is happy and feeling good." Tayce replied, finally taking one of her hands away from his backside to fondle his balls.

Rubbing them gently at first and then increasing pressure, Tayce finally opened her mouth and accepted him fully, thanking the stars above she didn't have gag reflex. That would've seriously sucked. She took in as much of his cock as she possibly could, feeling the tip his the back of her throat and heard Jon curse, his fingers tightening in her hair. Not stopping her administrations on his balls, Tayce pulled his cock out of her mouth and then drove it back in, moaning at the feeling. Jon's eyes nearly rolled in the back of his head at the feeling of Tayce's deep throating, gritting his teeth. She didn't stop and pretty soon her head practically bobbed at a fast pace, bringing him closer to that fine razor edge.

"Enough!" He practically roared, pulling her mouth away from his pulsating cock and ripped her up by her golden auburn hair, smashing his lips against hers.

Tayce didn't mind her hair being pulled because she knew she'd stirred Jon into a sexual frenzy. She kissed him back with equal amount of roughness and gasped when he whipped her around, smashing the side of her face against the shower wall. Once again, Tayce relished in it and spread her thighs as wide as she could for him, begging him to pound her. Jon did not hesitate and gripped her hips roughly, nipping her hips and back while slamming his cock fully inside of her. There would be no lovemaking and no waiting for her to adjust for him – this was straight out screwing each other's brains out in their shower. Tayce had never been thoroughly pounded in her life and cried out every time Jon brought his hand down to smack her bare ass cheeks. She loved every single second, pushing back against him as her backside crashed against his pelvis, both of them craving a release.

The delicious sounds of his balls slapping against her pussy lips echoed around the shower and Tayce could only hope her mother didn't hear them. Even if she did, none of that mattered as Jon took her to heights only he was capable of whenever he was balls deep inside of her like this, claiming her in every way. Before long, Tayce couldn't hold back any longer and felt her pussy squeeze his cock almost painfully, feeling the veins on his erection leave imprints against her walls from how hard he'd gotten. She screamed out his name as her orgasm ripped throughout her body, feeling him rip her up by her hair as her back slammed against his chest, their mouths meeting in a rough kiss. Riding out her first orgasm was a miracle, but once Jon felt the second wave from Tayce, that was his undoing. Growling out along with her screams, Jon sunk his cock deep inside of her and exploded, his thrusting increasing even faster if that was possible until he went completely limp inside of her.

Pressing against her, Jon laced their fingers together as he kissed her neck softly, both of them calming down from their intense sexual high they just experienced. "How about finishing the actual shower and then a nap before dinner, boss lady?" He murmured, nuzzling her ear and smirked when she complied.

"Whatever you want, Mox."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Momma, hurry up we have to get to the airport!" Tayce called from the kitchen down the hallway the next morning, fastening her large silver hoop in her ear.

"Relax boss lady, we got plenty of time." Jon assured her, wearing a pair of nice tan khakis with a navy polo shirt, not wanting to look like a bum at Joe's wedding, not when this meant so much to everyone. "We've got an hour to get to the airport and the red-eye will only take about a half an hour, if that, to get to Pensacola."

"I know that." Tayce grumbled, wearing a halter styled white and yellow sundress that went just above the knee.

Her hair was pulled back by citrine clips on either side of her head, her golden auburn hair loosely curled hanging over her shoulders and down her back. Her makeup was all bronze besides the clear gloss that painted her lips and black eyeliner. She had the silver locket on that her mother gave her, a silver bracelet on her wrist and of course her citrine engagement ring. Yellow flats adorned her feet.

"I'm just trying to hurry her along so we can go."

Jon chuckled, sipping his pure black coffee and already had his 3 morning cigarettes along with more shower sex with Tayce. He was feeling pretty damn good at the moment. "Everything packed, boss lady?" They couldn't forget anything, so Jon had to ask to make sure.

"Yes, will you stop asking me that? You've asked me that 5 times this morning and I'm about ready to pour that coffee over your head." Tayce grumped, rolling her eyes when Jon moved to wrap his arms around her from behind, leaning her head back against his chest.

"Calm down, Tayce, I was just asking." He nuzzled her ear, pressing a soft kiss over her pulse point and smirked when she shivered involuntarily against him. "You look beautiful today, if it wasn't obvious."

Tayce smiled at his compliment and turned, softly kissing his lips. "You don't clean up so bad yourself." She tapped his nose gently with her finger and smiled at the sight of her mother finally emerging. "Oh Momma, you look amazing."

Marcie smiled widely, wearing a blue summer dress that was also a halter top style and went to her knees, looking like a southern bell. In a way she was since she'd been born and raised partially in Georgia. Her golden auburn hair was pulled up in a blue banana clip, her hair curled hanging down her back. It was extremely long and went to the middle of her back, so she needed the banana clip to hold it in place. She had on light natural makeup that consisted of blue eye shadow, foundation, blush and bronze lipstick. Blue diamond studs were in her ears along with a blue diamond necklace around her neck, blue flats on her feet.

"You look exquisite yourself, baby girl." Marcie replied, hugging her daughter and then kissed Jon's cheek, hugging him as well. "Handsome as ever, Jonathan."

Jon shrugged, knowing Marcie hadn't seen him this dressed up since she bought him new clothes for school when they were younger. "Thank you, Mom. We should get going, you two lovely ladies." He smirked, grabbing all 3 bags since they'd stay at Joe's in Pensacola for the rest of their days off.

"Did you grab everything, Momma?" Tayce asked, closing the door behind all of them while Jon headed to the car to put the bags in it.

"Yes, I got everythin'." Marcie replied, stopping Tayce from walking away after she locked the apartment door. "Did you talk to him about the weddin'?"

Tayce sighed heavily, shaking her head. "No and please don't bring that up today. It's not about us today, it's about Joe and Sophie. I promise I'll talk to him about everything, you just have to give me some time."

Marcie eyeballed her daughter skeptically and finally nodded, respecting her wishes. "Very well, let's just enjoy the beautiful day and you let me know when you want to have the weddin'." If there was one, Marcie added in thought, not wanting to say it aloud because it would upset Tayce.

"Thanks Mom."

The flight took 25 minutes and they left earlier than planned because all the passengers for the redeye flight had arrived. Jon went to get the rental vehicle for them to drive to the Anoa'i's along with their bags while Marcie and Tayce went through security to get out of the airport. A half an hour later, they were on their way to the Anoa'i's and Tayce began feeling nervous. She'd kept Joe's secret wedding from Sophie and it had been one of the hardest things for her to do. She just hoped Sophie was so happy and shocked by the festivities that she didn't think to accuse Tayce of knowing. Jon drove and kept messing with the collar of his polo, trying to get comfortable and stopped when Tayce slapped his hands away. She leaned over the center council and fixed it for him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I hope you're ready to meet a gang of people, Mom." Jon stated, after mouthing 'thank you' to Tayce since the collar was driving him crazy. "Because Joe's got a huge family and over half of them are wrestlers or have been in the wrestling business."

Marcie was calm as a cucumber, never letting anything get to her. "Looking forward to it, Jonathan." She said sweetly, a wide smile crossing her face. "I'm just so happy to see my two babies all grownup and finally admittin' how they feel about each other."

"Momma…" Tayce groaned in a warning, shaking her head as a blush crept into her cheeks. "Not now."

"Oh come now, Tayce, you've been head over heels for this boy since you were 14 years old. I remember you came to me and asked if it was alright that you start datin' him and I said of course. I've always loved Jonathan and now he's gonna be my son-in-law. Everythin' is workin' out how it should."

"Mother!"

"14 huh?"

Jon watched as Tayce's cheeks turned a deep crimson and couldn't stop the deep chuckle from resonating around the car. They pulled up to a large house on the corner in the street, not wanting to block anyone in that was in the driveway. He took Tayce's hand and kissed the back of it, smirking.

"You know she's right, stop trying to fight it." He chuckled harder when she smacked his shoulder lightly. "Thanks for filling me in, Mom. Now I've got some ammunition to work with when I need things to go my way."

"Not a problem, sugar plum." Marcie beamed, sliding out of the SUV and smoothed her dress down, looking up at the huge house. "This place is gigantic!"

"Yeah, it's even bigger once you walk inside." Jon assured her, slipping out of the car and walked around to open Tayce's door, dropping a soft kiss on her lips. "I still love you even if you did want to rape me at 14." He winked and laughed again when she swatted him a second time on his backside. "Hey! No foreplay while we're in Mom's presence."

"Can't rape the willing, Mox, and I don't care who sees." Tayce pulled his mouth down on hers again, this kiss a little deeper than his small peck.

"Tayce, your mother actually DOES care, so kindly refrain from attacking him until you're alone." Marcie requested, interrupting the heated moment between them and smiled. "Shall we go meet all these people?"

"Later." Jon promised in a low rasp, running his finger down her cheek gently. "I promise, boss lady."

Nodding, Tayce slid out of the SUV and took Jon's hand, smoothing her own dress out. Together, they headed up the long drive that linked to the Anoa'i family home. Instead of walking up to the front door, they headed to the backyard since the party was back there. They could hear hollering and laughing the closer they approached, finally arriving in the backyard. The first person Tayce spotted was Sophie, who looked extremely nervous standing next to a boisterous Joe.

"He hasn't told her yet." Tayce murmured quietly to Jon, feeling him squeeze her hand and smiled when Sophie came running over to her.

She was clad in a white spaghetti strapped dress that had soft lilac flower embroidery prints on it and a lilac ribbon around the waist, tying in the back in a perfect bow. The ribbon hung down her back for style, the dress short and went a little past mid-thigh. Her feet were encased in 3 inch open toed lilac heels that matched the dress perfectly and buckled around her ankles. She'd left her hair down with a simple lilac headband, but moussed her curls so they wouldn't frizz in the warm humidity. It was a crisp 75 degrees, sunny and it was supposed to stay that way for the rest of the day.

"Thank GOD you're here!" Sophie hugged Tayce tightly around the neck and then pulled back, breathing a little easier. "You look so beautiful." Then her blue eyes moved to the older woman standing on the other side of Jon. "Hi, you must be Tayce's Mom. I'm Sophie Martini, a good friend of your daughter's and Jon's."

Marcie smiled, taking the young woman's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's very nice to meet you, dear."

"You too, ma'am." Sophie replied, enjoying the warm southern accent to Marcie's voice. "Thank you for coming." She moved to Jon, hugging him around the waist in a purely friendly way.

"Hey Good! What are you doing with my woman?" Joe rumbled from behind, wearing a crisp white polo shirt with black shorts and black sandals on his feet.

"I'm hugging her, you gotta problem with that, Anoa'i?" Jon retorted, not releasing Sophie and kissed the top of her head, arching a brow.

Joe growled playfully, bumping fists with Jon and drew Sophie back into his arms, loving how she snuggled against his side. "So, is this the lovely Marcie?" He asked, eyeing the older woman with kind grey eyes.

"Yes. Mom, this is Joe Anoa'i and Joe, this is my wonderful mother, Marcie Stevens." Tayce introduced properly, feeling Jon's arm snake around her waist again.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Joe took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Thanks for coming. Both Tayce and Jon were excited when you agreed to come."

"Yes well, I can't let my babies down." Marcie grinned, winking back at Jon and Tayce lovingly. "My dear, would you mind pointin' me in the direction of the beverages? I'm dyin' of thirst."

"Hey little bro, what's going on?" Matt bounded up, who was Joe's older brother. "Did I hear someone say they're thirsty?"

Joe smiled at his older brother, who also agreed to be his Best Man and nodded. "This is Marcie Stevens, Tayce's Mom. Miss Stevens, this is my older brother, Matt. Would you mind introducing her to Mom and Dad while I talk to Sophie for a second?" He wanted to do this in front of Tayce and Jon, discreetly waving over Colby and Celeste.

"Sure man, no problem."

Matt knew what that meant and extended his arm to the lovely older woman, winking secretly back at Joe as he guided her away. Everyone knew what was going down that day, thanks to Patricia and Sika spreading the word with phone calls to the family they knew would be attending. Nobody minded, especially with how hectic Joe's schedule was with the WWE and they definitely didn't want to miss the youngest Anoa'i getting married. Now all Joe had to do was inform his bride-to-be on the festivities, hoping she didn't call off the wedding because of his impulsiveness.

Sophie was completely clueless and looked up into Joe's beautiful grey eyes as soon as she felt him take her hand, smiling. "What's up?" She asked, noticing Colby and Celeste had joined them and were standing in a half circle. "Joe?"

Joe reached out, caressing her face tenderly and softly kissed her lips. "I love you, please remember that." He took a deep breath, looking at each of the men he considered brothers in Jon and Colby, both of them nodding in silent approval. "Here goes nothing."

"What's going…?" Sophie couldn't get the question out fully and felt her blue eyes widen at the sight of Joe slowly lowering to one knee in front of her. "Oh my god…" She looked back at both Tayce and Celeste, seeing the big smiles on their faces and felt tears swell in her eyes, directing her attention back to Joe. "I-It was just an idea…"

"I know and a damn good one at that." Joe replied, kissing her hand with a smile and wondered if he even had to ask her at this point. "I've asked you once and you said yes to marry me. But now I'm asking you to marry me right here today in front of the people that care and love us most. I've already got a minister, who is an old family friend and my Mom took care of all the arrangements. All you have to do is say yes for a second time and you'll be my wife before this day ends. So, what do you say, Sophie Martini?"

A waterfall of tears slid down her face as Sophie stood there completely shocked, covering her open mouth with her hand. "Seriously?" She squeaked out, seeing through Joe's eyes he meant every word that came out of his mouth. "I'd be a fool to say no to you, Joe. Yes, I'll do it." A squeal escaped her as Joe lifted her up in his arms and spun her around in circles, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

Celeste was a crying mess and Tayce blinked her tears away, all four of them applauding their friends. Joe set Sophie down and she embraced Tayce tightly while Colby held Celeste, guiding her away to get something to drink after shaking Joe's hand, congratulating him. Tayce held her tightly, thankful Sophie wasn't mad at her for keeping the secret wedding from her and pulled back, wiping tears away from Sophie's cheeks.

"I want you to be my Maid of Honor." Sophie called her that because Tayce wasn't married to Jon yet, just engaged. "Please?"

Tayce blinked, swallowing hard because she honestly didn't expect to be asked something like this. "A-Are you sure? I mean, you've known Celeste longer. And then there's Trinity."

Trinity was Joe's cousin Jonathan's fiancée. He was one of the twins of Solofa Fatu JR and wrestled under the name Rikishi years prior in the WWE, back when it was the WWF. The other cousin was named Joshua and together the twins had formed a tag team called The Uso's in the WWE currently as Jimmy and Jey Uso. Trinity was a WWE Diva and part of a team called the Funkadactyls under the name Naomi. Her partner was Cameron, her real name being Ariane.

"No." Sophie shook her head, grabbing both of Tayce's hands tightly. "I don't care how short of time we've known each other or how long I've known the other girls. I want you to be my Maid of Honor. You're my best friend. Don't get me wrong, I love Celeste, but she can get on my nerves at times and Trinity is mostly with Jonny on their days off from work, so I rarely hang out with her. So just say yes, please?"

Tayce smiled, nodding. "Of course anything the bride wants, the bride gets." They laughed and embraced again just as Patricia came over to pull Sophie away, wanting to get her ready for her wedding.

It was a lovely ceremony with Tayce standing on one side and Matt standing on the other, standing up watching as two people swore their eternal devotion together. Sophie's Uncle, Roddy, had walked her down the aisle and gave her away proudly, both of them sharing a tearful embrace. The colors were lilac and silver with Joe and Sophie standing under a small white gazebo that was outlined in white lights. The sun had just set on the horizon when the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Joe taking Sophie into his arms passionately kissing her in front of their family and friends. A bonfire followed with tons of delicious food and a small wedding cake that Patricia made from scratch. Everyone drank and toasted the newlywed couple, wishing them nothing except the utmost happiness.

It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Tayce was up bright and early the next morning before Jon and Marcie, standing in Joe's kitchen with a huge cup of coffee. She spent the majority of the night having drunken sex with Jon after they helped Joe and Sophie celebrate their marriage. Patricia and Sika surprised the newlyweds with a trip to the Cayman Islands for a honeymoon that lasted for 2 weeks. It would have to wait until after WrestleMania though, which they understood, so the plane tickets didn't have an expiration date. They could use them whenever, which Joe and Sophie were extremely grateful for. So for a honeymoon preview, Joe found the most luxurious hotel he could find and rented their honeymoon suite for the rest of their time off. That left Jon, Tayce and Marcie to have Joe's house to themselves. Tayce was extremely happy for them, but she couldn't help thinking how absurd this idea to elope to Vegas was.

Granted, she knew Jon didn't want anything big or extravagant. Neither did Tayce. However, the ceremony Joe and Sophie had the previous day was beautiful, elegant and didn't require a lot of work. Sophie got to have an actual wedding ceremony filled with love and happiness, given away by a man she considered to be her father more than her Uncle. Hell, Sophie didn't even have a wedding dress, just a simple white dress with lilac throughout it and she looked exquisite. Why couldn't Tayce have that? Why couldn't she walk down an aisle and properly marry Jon in front of people they loved and cared about?

Her mother's heart would be broken if Tayce and Jon ran off to elope in Vegas. She was Marcie's only child and she thought of Jon as a son. Eloping was definitely out of the question, but how would Jon feel about that? Tayce still didn't find the opportunity to talk to him about this wedding business. Last night they'd gotten hammered, came back to Joe's house and sexed each other up until the early morning hours. Tayce had 2 hours of sleep and a major hangover, which is why she currently had a cup of coffee in the size of Guatemala in her hand.

Staring out the window, Tayce's thoughts reverted back to her last talk she had with Sami, shutting her eyes. He was right about so many things he said regarding Jon. She had been the one to propose marriage and had told Jon she loved him first. Everything that happened between them she initiated. Sami actually loved her and wasn't afraid to say it whereas Jon hadn't been that open. Now Sami was going to be Jon's Best Man, however they were going to get married and it petrified her. Tayce was afraid if she didn't do this the way Jon wanted, he would call the engagement off and walk away. He was a flight risk, so Tayce had to tread softly and carefully with this situation or else it would completely blow up in her face.

"Tayce, sweetheart, what are you doin' up?" Marcie's soft voice resonated around the kitchen, jolting her daughter out of apparent deep thoughts. "You're supposed to be sleepin'. Our flight doesn't leave for another 5 hours at least."

"I couldn't sleep, Momma." Tayce replied quietly, running the pad of her thumb around the rim of the coffee cup. "What are you doing up?"

Marcie smiled, walking over to the coffee pot to pour herself a healthy dose after retrieving a cup from one of the cupboards. "You know how I am, baby girl. I never sleep past 6 anymore. Old age and all. Or maybe I just want to enjoy the day more than night." She'd been brought back to the house by one of Joe's Uncle's the previous night on their way home.

"I didn't wake you though, right?" Tayce wanted to make sure, sighing with relief when her mother shook her head and joined her at the table she sat at.

"What's on your mind, baby girl? Talk to me." Marcie reached out, placing a gentle hand on her daughter's and could see tears brimming. "It's just us. Jon is sleepin' heavily, I heard him snorin' down the hallway."

Tayce closed her eyes and felt the tears slowly slip down her cheeks, finally letting her emotions out that she'd kept hidden from Jon. "I don't know what to do, Momma." She whispered, squeezing her hand. "I love Jon so much, but…I don't know if he feels the same way about me. Sure, he tells me he loves me, but I'm starting to wonder if he only says it back just to make me happy. I'm having doubts about this whole engagement and it's terrifying."

Marcie knew this was coming and reached up to wipe some tears away from her daughter's face. "You gotta do what's right by you, Tayce, nobody else. I know you love that boy to pieces. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. And judgin' by the way Jon treats and acts around you, he loves you too. But only you can know the truth in your mind and heart."

"What if he's only saying he loves me and has agreed to marry me because he doesn't want to disappoint me? Because he feels he has too out of obligation? I don't want to be married under those circumstances to the man I've loved since I was 14."

Tayce sniffled, taking a shaky drink of her coffee and set the cup down, burying her fingers in her damp golden auburn hair. She'd taken a shower prior to coming downstairs to make some coffee, hoping it would help with her hangover. Marcie stood up and walked over to the counter that split the kitchen from the dining room, grabbing the bottle of Advil liquid gels she spotted. She shook two pills in her hand and handed them to her daughter, nodding approvingly as Tayce downed them in one swallow.

"Thanks Momma."

"Anytime baby girl, anytime." Marcie took her seat again, mulling over her daughter's concerns. "The only way you can know the truth about how Jon really feels is if you ask him, Tayce. You can't expect the man to bring up the subject because, let's face it, men don't do that. It has to be the woman who does. So if you want these doubts to disappear, you have to talk to him."

Tayce knew her mother was right and decided she would do as soon as possible. "I wish you weren't going home today, Momma. I'm gonna miss you so much." The time had flown for them and tomorrow they would have to head back on the road with the WWE while Marcie caught her flight today to head back to Cincinnati. "What time is your flight again?"

"Same as yours. Noon." Marcie answered, finishing her coffee and stood to get a refill. "We'll see each other again before you know it, baby girl."

"I hope so."

They talked for a little while longer and then headed upstairs to get things packed up. Tayce wasn't surprised that Jon was still out cold, knowing she wore him out after they got back from the party the previous night. Deciding to let him sleep a little longer, Tayce began picking up the room, tossing her things in her bag and Jon's into his. She walked around the bed with her back facing it and squealed out when she was grabbed from behind, tossed on the bed. Amber met amused blue and Tayce smacked his chest playfully, trying not to smile at him.

"You are an ass. You just scared the shit out of me." She muttered, enjoying the feeling of his still naked body on top of her and felt her eyes slowly shut as his face buried in her neck.

"Come on, boss lady, you can't be mad at me." He rasped in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist and his mouth sealed to her neck. "Mmm you smell good…"

Tayce sighed and buried her fingers in his unruly blonde curls, lifting his head up until she could softly kiss his lips. "I showered when I got up this morning, something you need to do before we head to the airport in less than 2 hours." She stated once the kiss broke, running the pad of her thumb across his soft lips. "Everything is packed away besides a pair of jeans, t-shirt, boxers, socks and shoes laid out for you to wear. I also kept your toiletries out until after your shower, then I'll pack them away too."

Jon smiled gratefully, rubbing his nose gently against hers and still couldn't believe this woman was his in every way. "What would I do without you, Tayce?" He kissed her again, a little deeper and pulled back only when they both needed air to breathe. "Alright, I better get my ass up and in that shower before I end up fucking you in the mattress again."

"Yeah, we can have all the sex you want once we get home." Tayce stated, watching him roll off the bed to saunter into the bathroom in all his naked glory, the shower sprays cutting on moments later.

Once Jon finished and dressed, Tayce packed the rest of their things away, double-checking to make sure she didn't miss anything. Once she was satisfied, they headed out of the house with Jon carrying all the bags, tossing them in the back. Marcie forced Tayce to take the front seat while Jon drove, not minding the back at all. Tayce joined her and held her mother's hand the entire time to the airport, resting her head on her shoulder the entire time. It took everything inside of her not to start crying right then and there, hating saying goodbye to her wonderful mother. Tayce had no other family and knew she took her time with her mother for granted a lot.

Before Tayce knew it, the time had come to say goodbye to her mother and they embraced tightly. "I love you so much, Momma." She whispered, never wanting to let her mother go.

"I love you too, baby girl." Marcie murmured soothingly, running her fingers through Tayce's hair to try to calm her down. "Please don't cry, sugar plum. You'll see me again really soon, I promise."

Tayce couldn't hold the tears in anymore, letting them flow freely down her cheeks and felt her entire body shaking. "I-I hope so." She could feel Jon's hand rest on her shoulder and was grateful for his comfort at that moment because she really needed it. "I'll try to come see you as soon as I can. Jon and I both."

Marcie smiled, slowly pulling away and stared into her daughter's tear-filled amber eyes, tapping her nose gently. "You better and I want more phone calls from both of you." She moved away from Tayce to open her arms to Jon and felt his arms completely envelope her. "You take care of my baby girl, you hear me, Jonathan?" She murmured quietly in his ear, not wanting Tayce to overhear. "She loves you, never forget that."

Jon nodded, seeing Tayce was too busy trying to gather control of her emotions and closed his eyes briefly. "I promise, Marcie. I love her too." He whispered, feeling the woman squeeze him one last time before their embrace ended. "You better call us as soon as you land since we'll be home way before you."

"Absolutely." Marcie agreed, feeling a lot better about Tayce and Jon's engagement after hearing his declaration of love for her daughter. "And make sure you keep me posted on what's going on with the weddin' details."

Tayce nodded, hugging her mother one last time and felt Jon pull her away when the last call for her flight sounded through the airport. "You better get going, Momma. I'll keep you posted." She promised, watching her mother grab her bag and turned, heading through the terminal before disappearing down the hallway that lead to her plane. Tayce walked away from Jon over to the huge window, watching as her mother's plane began pulling away to descend into the sky. "Bye Momma, I love you." She whispered, feeling Jon standing behind her and turned, burying her face in his chest while her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, tears soaking through his black t-shirt.

Until now, Jon never realized how much Tayce missed her mother and had an idea forming in his head, one he knew she would agree with. He'd wait until they got home to mention it though, running his fingers through her hair to try to soothe her. An hour later, their flight was called and Tayce leaned against Jon the whole time, neither of them saying a word with laced fingers. 25 minutes later, the plane landed in Tampa and they were on their way home to their apartment to get some rest. They had enough food from grocery shopping to make something quick, so neither would have to go out to get food thankfully.

Stepping inside the apartment, Tayce felt like she was ready to fall over and headed straight for the bedroom, not caring about anything else except sleep at the moment. She collapsed on the bed face first, relishing the feeling of being home in their bed and heard Jon walk into the room moments later, dropping the bags near the door. Jon couldn't help joining Tayce, laying on his side while his hand ran up and down her back gently, seeing the dark circles forming under her beautiful amber eyes. Apparently he'd gotten better sleep than her, though Jon didn't regret keeping Tayce up most of the night exploring her body from head to toe.

"I wanted to talk to you about something before you pass out on me." He said softly, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers. "It won't take long and then you can take a nap."

Tayce knew this was important and nodded, though she didn't move an inch to push up from the bed. She was comfortable right where she was. "What is it?" She asked quietly, hoping he didn't want to talk about the wedding details right now because that was the last thing Tayce wanted to discuss.

"It's about your mother." Jon held his finger up in a one second gesture and pulled his pack of smokes out with his lighter, lighting one up. He took a long drag from it and closed his eyes, letting the nicotine work its magic to calm his nerves. "I have an idea I wanna run by you."

"What about her?" Tayce was intrigued now, slowly pushing herself up to roll over on her back, taking the cigarette from him for her drag, handing it back to him. "Tell me, Jon."

"I don't want her living in Cincinnati anymore. There's nothing left there for her. Her fucking daughter lives in Tampa, Florida and that's where she needs to be now. She needs to move here." Jon took another drag, flicking ash in the ashtray he'd procured from the nightstand. "What do you think?"

Tayce sighed heavily, lowering her eyes from his and felt her heart clench with pain at the thought of her mother's financial situation. "I wish she could." She whispered, trying to mask her pain and failed miserably. "But that's not possible."

"Why not?" Jon arched a brow, frowning.

"Because it costs a lot of money for a person to move from one state to the next, Jon. She's not like us. She can't just get up and leave whenever she wants." Tayce rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on and took the cigarette from him for another drag. "It's a nice thought though."

Jon remained quiet for a minute, mulling over the options they had regarding Marcie moving here and decided what had to be done. "Fine, then she can move in here with us."

Tayce felt her eyes widen to the size of saucers, swallowing incredibly hard past the lump that just formed in her throat. "W-What?" Now she was fully sitting up, her mouth going dry. "You mean…here, in this apartment?" Did he really just suggest that?

Smirking, Jon scooted closer and caressed her face tenderly with the back of his rough knuckles, nodding. "Why not? We're hardly here, Tayce. Sometimes we even go to Pensacola to stay with Joe and now Sophie. I'm sure she'll be moving in with him since he refuses to leave Florida. He's got too much here and moving anywhere else would kill him. She would have the apartment to herself and her own room since we're together now. It makes sense and it would get her out of that shithole she lives in now."

"A-And you're okay with this?" Tayce was having a hard time believing this was Jonathan Good, the same man she had stuck by for the past 10 years and felt her heart flood with newfound love as soon as he nodded.

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have mentioned it." He said simply, finishing the cigarette and barely put it out in the ashtray before Tayce tackled him, her mouth finding his hungrily.

Sleep evaded Tayce as she made love to her sweet fiancé for the rest of the day, showing him exactly how much he meant to her.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Spending an entire day and night in bed with Jon, only getting up to use the bathroom and eat, was pure bliss to Tayce. She cherished every single second of it because it was just them. No Sami, no Randy Orton, no doubts – just them. Marcie had made it home to Cincinnati safely and called to let them know, only for Jon to snatch the phone from Tayce to tell Marcie the great idea he came up with. He was kind enough to put Marcie on speakerphone so Tayce could hear her mother's scream and then cry once Jon informed her on what would be happening. Marcie tried fighting them at first, but once Tayce explained the fact they were rarely home and she'd have the apartment to herself, she found herself agreeing to Jon's idea.

Was there ever any doubt?

The next day, Tayce woke up completely refreshed and ready to face anything thrown her way, kissing Jon awake. She smiled as his beautiful blues fluttered open and brushed his hair away from his forehead, rubbing her nose against his. It was 10 AM and they had a flight to catch at 1 PM, so they had to get up and get motivated. Luckily, they stopped having sex the previous night long enough to pack their bags, so that was one thing they didn't have to worry about. Jon groaned and rolled over, pulling Tayce on top of him as their lips met in a soft good morning kiss.

"What time is it?" He asked in a rough raspy voice, running his hand down her back to squeeze her backside lovingly.

"10, we have to be at the airport by noon." It was hard to believe everything that happened in Jon's first week being in the big leagues. 3 engagements, one wedding and now her mother would be moving in with them shortly. "Come on, gotta get up and showered." It was Friday and they had a house show later that night.

Just then, both Tayce and Jon's cell phones rang at the same time, making them quirk brows at each other. "What the hell?" Tayce reached for hers while Jon did the same thing, both of them answering at the same time. "Hello?"

"Hey sweetie, we just got a call from Stephanie McMahon-Levesque and she forgot to tell us before we left that we have the weekend off. We don't have to be back on the road until Monday Night Raw because of the Thanksgiving holiday." It was Sophie and she sounded a little out of breath. "We're heading back to Joe's for the rest of the weekend and going to his parents for Thanksgiving dinner. You two are welcome to join us if you want."

Tayce felt her heart plummet in her stomach because she didn't know they had the entire weekend off. If she had, she wouldn't have sent her mother back to Cincinnati yesterday. "I'll talk to Jon and let you know." She said in a monotone voice, feeling Jon's arm wrap around her waist kissing her shoulder.

They talked for a few more minutes and hung up, Jon plucking the phone from her hand. "So we have the weekend off eh?" He rasped in a low husky voice, his hand inching up until it cupped her breast. "Don't be sad, boss lady. I know we could've spent more time with Mom, but we'll see her again. She's moving in with us, remember?"

"I know, I know…" Tayce slowly turned to face Jon, staring into his beautiful blue eyes and ran her fingers down the side of his face. "It would've been nice to spend Thanksgiving with her though. I haven't had a Thanksgiving meal with her in quite a while."

Jon softly kissed her, guiding her back down on the bed and continued massaging her breast in his hand. "Well, Joe just informed me we're invited down to Pensacola and his family isn't having Thanksgiving until Sunday. It's Friday, so we can always get Mom on a plane today with whatever she can carry and she can come with us to Thanksgiving dinner at Joe's parents. Then she can start living here and on our next set of days off, we can get the rest of her things out of Cincinnati." He made it sound so simple and smirked when she rolled on her side to spoon up against him, not stopping his administrations.

"I'll call and see what she says." Tayce replied, gasping when she felt Jon's fully erected cock slip between her slick folds, a soft moan escaping her lips. "Jon…"

All other thoughts flew out the window, everything else pushed in the far recesses of her mind.

**~!~**

The weekend flew by faster than anyone liked, but they all had jobs to do and lives to continue. Tayce called her mother and asked if she wanted to start her move a little sooner than expected, adding the Thanksgiving invitation at the Anoa'i's. Marcie declined because she had a lot to get done and couldn't just leave Cincinnati without selling her house. She owned it thanks to her deceased husband's life insurance policy she collected after he had a stroke while working. Tayce had left to pursue the world of professional wrestling with Jon when her step-father, Clarence, died unexpectedly and didn't go back for the funeral. Marcie didn't blame her since Clarence and Tayce did not get along at all, which was one of the reasons she left Cincinnati with Jon. So now Marcie had the task of selling the house and, until she did, she couldn't leave it sitting because it had to be kept up incase people were interested in checking it out.

Tayce and Jon stayed at the apartment in Tampa until Sunday morning, then flew the 25 minutes to Pensacola for Thanksgiving dinner with the Anoa'i's. Patricia and Sika were thrilled to have them and the food was delicious. After stuffing their faces, Jon, Tayce, Joe, Sophie, Colby and Celeste went back to Joe's to relax for their final night before having to catch a flight to Lafayette, Louisiana for Monday Night Raw. Stephanie McMahon-Levesque called earlier that day before their flight and told the Shield along with Tayce they had a meeting with her as soon as they arrived in Lafayette regarding WrestleMania. They couldn't imagine what it was about, so naturally throughout the flight Jon was very jittery and Tayce tried her best keeping him calm.

"This is WrestleMania, boss lady." Jon stated, trying to make her understand just how important this meeting was and popped another piece of hard candy in his mouth to suck on. "This is as big as it fucking gets."

"I know, Mox."

All Jon ever talked about while in the Indies was becoming part of the WWE roster and wrestling on the grandest stage of them all. WrestleMania. It was one of his lifetime dreams and now it was about to come true. Tayce did not blame Jon for being nervous about this meeting. Hell, she was jittery on the inside, but she had to maintain her composure for his sake. Tayce kept caressing the back of his hand with her thumb and pressed soft kisses to his arm, even massaging the back of his neck. If she could, she would've straddled him and gotten his mind off of the meeting by making out. Unfortunately, that wasn't a possibility, though dragging him back to the bathroom had crossed her mind a few times.

A few hours later, they landed in Lafayette and headed to the hotel to check in first since their meeting with Stephanie wasn't for another hour. Jon stayed on the balcony smoking and pacing while Tayce ordered everyone something to eat. Then she walked into their room and began pulling out everything Jon would need for that night, placing it in his gym bag. Tayce had washed everything while they were at home in Tampa, taking care of Jon the only way she knew how. After packing his wrestling gear that included his black and white tape and boots along with hers and a change of clothes for each of them, Tayce zipped the bag up placing it by the door. She headed out of the room to the balcony, sliding the door open seeing Jon leaning against the ledge with a freshly lit cigarette dangling between his fingers.

"I ordered you a cheeseburger with everything on it since I have a feeling we'll be sticking around the arena until after Raw is over with." Tayce said quietly, moving to stand beside him and rubbed his back soothingly, taking the lit cigarette when he offered it.

"Thanks." Jon muttered, not looking back at her and took the cigarette back after she took a drag, closing his eyes.

Tayce nodded, letting the smoke filter out of her nose and mouth. "I'll let you know when the food arrives." She kissed his cheek, not saying another word because she knew Jon just wanted some quiet time and headed back inside just as Sophie walked out of her and Joe's room.

"Let me guess: He's nervous too?"

Tayce cracked a smile, nodding. "Yeah, he's taking a beat outside with some smokes to calm his nerves. What's Joe doing?"

"What else? Playing Call of Duty with Colby since Celeste had to take off to go meet one of the Divas." Sophie shrugged, walking over to sit down on the couch since they were in the sitting room of the suite.

"How come they're not gaming out here?" Tayce knew Jon was also a huge gamer when he was around Joe and Colby. "They can set it up out here, I don't mind."

Sophie had no answer and held her hands up, reaching over on the coffee table to grab the remote. "Thanks for ordering the food. I would've done it, but someone attacked me in the bathroom." She smirked, staring down at her beautiful diamond ring and wedding band, both matching perfectly.

"I know, I heard you guys cut the shower on and had a feeling you were preoccupied. Hopefully I got what everyone likes." Tayce sat down beside her, glancing out the balcony door every couple seconds to check on Jon.

Sophie noticed it, taking Tayce's hand and squeezed gently. "It's going to be alright, you know."

Tayce nodded, feeling somehow reassured with Sophie holding her hand. "I'm just as nervous as he is. This is what Jon has worked for his entire life, since he was 16 years old. And watching him fulfill his dreams is amazing. I can't explain it honestly." Her amber eyes sparkled with joy and love every time she talked about her fiancé.

"Believe me, Joe feels the same way, which is why I gave into shower sex earlier. Normally, I would NEVER have sex a few hours before a show, but he looked really nervous and needed the distraction." Sophie explained and released Tayce's hand, flipping idly through the channels.

As much as Tayce wished she could've had sex with Jon prior to going to the meeting, he would never go for it. She knew Jon well and he wasn't easily distracted, especially with a meeting that meant everything to him. The food arrived 10 minutes later and Tayce walked out on the balcony to retrieve Jon. He asked if they could eat outside so he could have one last cigarette after eating before they left for the meeting and of course Tayce complied. Why wouldn't she? They didn't talk, each deep in their own thoughts and shared a cigarette together before heading back inside to grab their gear.

The ride over to the arena was made in silence as well with just soft classic rock music flowing through the SUV. Everyone was on edge and could only imagine what this meeting would involve, especially since it was regarding WrestleMania. Jon held onto Tayce's hand the entire walk to Stephanie McMahon-Levesque's office while Joe did the same thing with Sophie, Colby trailing behind. They stopped outside of the boss's office and Sophie kissed Joe's lips, telling him to text her when he was finished with the meeting. Tayce was joining since she was part of the Shield, but she still felt the need to give Jon a pep talk before heading inside.

"You got this, Mox." Tayce cupped his face in her hands, softly kissing his lips. "You're the best, untouchable and everyone will soon realize it. You go in there and show them that you're ready to do whatever it takes to make it in this company. Do you hear me?"

Jon smirked in spite of his nerves, running the pad of his thumb across her lips. "Got it, boss lady. Thanks." He dropped a quick kiss on her lips and stepped inside with Tayce, the door closing behind them.

"Thank you for being on time everyone." Stephanie stated, starting the meeting and sat behind her huge cherry wood desk, hands folded on top of it. "How was everyone's Thanksgiving?"

"Great actually, we all went to my parents and had a blast." Joe answered, grey eyes sparkling at the memory of what happened. "Got married."

Stephanie blinked, not expecting to hear that. "Really?" She glanced down at his left hand, spotting the silver band around his ring finger and smiled, knowing this wasn't a prank or joke. "Congratulations, Joe, I had no idea."

"It was a spare of the moment kind of thing."

"I'm sure it was. Now then, let's get down to business. As you know, WrestleMania is our biggest pay-per-view of the year. It's our super bowl, it's what every Superstar and Diva in this company strive to be part of year in and year out. Fortunately for the 4 of you, WrestleMania is definitely in your future since you've made a very profound impact on the company with your debut. I've talked it over with my husband and father and we've decided that it's going to be a six-man tag team match. The Shield versus Randy Orton, Sheamus and either Ryback or the Big Show. We don't know which one yet because we're trying to build up a feud between Ryback and Mark Henry right now, but we have to test it out first at some house shows to see if they will connect well together or not in the ring." Stephanie explained, wanting to stress the importance of this event to them since they were technically rookies. "Now, while I don't condone anyone jumping script," She paused, eyeing Jon with a tight smile. "We've decided to do a sort of triangle involving Tayce, Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton."

Tayce blinked, feeling Jon tense beside her and swallowed hard, wondering if Randy went to Stephanie regarding the last time they spoke. "What kind of triangle, Mrs. Levesque?" She asked almost hesitantly, her stomach tightening at the predatory smile that crossed Stephanie's face.

"Simple. There will be segments airing on each show leading up to WrestleMania. That's only once the WrestleMania match has been announced, which isn't for several more months. I know we're thinking far ahead, but honestly once Royal Rumble hits, WrestleMania is just on the horizon after that. So we'll start filming them backstage and there might be some interaction out in the ring since you'll be accompanying the Shield to ringside. Basically, it's going to make the fans THINK Tayce is turning on the Shield, but really she's just being caught up in Orton's mind games because he's going to flirt with her. It'll add fuel to the fire and heat the feud up leading into WrestleMania. Any other questions?" Stephanie eyed each member of the Shield and Tayce, waiting to hear demands on why this had to happen, but she received none, just curt nods. "Very well, I'm pleased to see you're onboard with this. Now if you'll excuse me, I have another meeting."

Tayce felt numb while walking out of Stephanie's office and could tell Jon was not happy with this. There was nothing they could do though. Whatever the bosses wanted, they got and they wanted her to flirt on-screen with Randy Orton. The thought made her sick to her stomach because Tayce hadn't forgotten her altercation with the scumbag before they left for their extended Thanksgiving break. She still hadn't told Jon about that either and decided it would be best to take it to the grave, not wanting to cause tension between him and coworkers.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

2 and a half weeks went by with the Shield completely dominating over the WWE, dishing out relentless punishment to anyone they felt caused injustice. Jon was having the ride of his life along with Tayce and his team mates. Even though they knew what was going down with WrestleMania, that wasn't for a little while yet, so currently their adversaries were Team Hell No that consisted of Daniel Bryan –his real name was Bryan Danielson- and Kane –his real name was Glen Jacobs- along with Ryan Reeves. Their major target had been Ryan ever since their debut in the WWE and everyone thought the Shield was working for Paul Heyman and Phillip Brooks. They denied it. The next pay-per-view event was entitled TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs – one of the most dangerous matches in WWE to date. It would be the Shield's first official match and Tayce was extremely nervous because it'd been a while since Jon had been in any type of hardcore environment.

They were backstage at Smackdown! because the Shield had a segment involving Randy Orton. Tayce wasn't involved because it was supposed to be physical and Jon didn't want anything happening to her. It unnerved Tayce because the men refused to tell her what would happen in the segment. Had Jon somehow found out about her altercation with Randy before their Thanksgiving break? Since Tayce wasn't in the segment, she wore a simple black skirt that rested just above her knees and a long sleeved wine colored top that had a lace overlay over it. Her golden auburn hair hung down her back curled at the ends and her makeup was natural with black eyeliner, clear gloss and foundation.

Joe and Colby left the room to go down to catering to grab everyone something to eat, leaving Tayce and Jon alone in the dressing room. Jon sat straddled on a steel folding chair wrapping his wrists and hands, even though he'd be wearing ridiculous black gloves over them. They would definitely have to go, especially since the guys wanted their own styles to show through what they wore to the ring. He looked focused and ready for the segment, gritting his teeth at the memory of Tayce accompanying Randy Orton and Stephen to the ring after they had their fight. Breaking script had been more than worth it that night, but now he'd put Tayce in a very awkward position regarding Randy Orton, one Jon wished he could take back.

"Penny for your thoughts, Mox?" Tayce asked from behind, rubbing his shoulders trying to relieve some of the tension she felt coursing through him.

"Nah I'm good, boss lady." He assured her in a monotone voice, trying to maintain his edge, but it was hard since her hands felt like heaven. "Tayce…"

"Yeah?"

She kept massaging, applying more pressure and stepped back when Jon stood from the chair, turning around to sit correctly on it. Jon took her hand and pulled her to straddle his lap, his mouth instantly finding hers. Tayce moaned, pressing herself against him and felt their tongues collide, fingers burying in his slick drenched hair. Growling, Jon suddenly slid his hand down beneath her skirt and felt the cotton fabric of her soiled panties. He smirked at the effect he had on her and pushed the fabric aside, slipping two fingers inside of her.

"J-Jon, the door…" Tayce stammered, her body quaking at the feeling of his fingers penetrating her, making her head spin. "Oh god…"

"Fuck the door. They won't be back for a while." Jon didn't care who walked in on them at the moment, the hunger for Tayce too intense to ignore. "I'm fucking you in this dressing room right now. You gotta problem with that?"

Tayce shook her head, too busy moaning to form a coherent sentence as his fingers continued working in and out of her. "Fuck me, Jon, I need you…" She wasn't above begging at this point, gripping his shoulders and felt his fingers pull out of her, licking them clean.

"I know you do." Jon couldn't help letting a hint of smugness enter his tone and lifted Tayce with ease, carrying her over by the lockers setting her on her feet. "Panties off. Now."

Tayce heard his buckle come undone along with the zipper on his cargo pants slide down, drenching her panties more. She obeyed his command and immediately removed them, tossing them to the side. He gripped the back of her right knee and lifted it in an arc position, his hazy bluish grey eyes locking with molten gold. Tayce drew her bottom lip between her teeth and pressed her hand against the locker for leverage, the anticipation of what was coming killing her. Jon could see the plea in her eyes and decided to give her what they both wanted, his cock already freed from the confines of his cargo pants. Gripping his cock, Jon slid it up and down her drenched lips, both groaning at the friction. Tayce was already ready for him, so Jon didn't bother with anymore foreplay and snapped his hips forward, burying him inside of her sideways, her outer right thigh pressed against his stomach.

Dropping her head back at the feeling of Jon's cock filling her completely, Tayce knew he was taking complete control of this bout. She was not complaining at all and watched as his cock disappeared inside of her and slid out with each thrust. His free hand gripped her ass cheek, thrusting as hard, fast and deep as he could since they didn't have a lot of time. Tayce could only hold on, her free hand gripping his side and could feel the hot coil forming in her lower abdomen. It wouldn't be long now. Jon groaned, feeling her walls begin tightening around him and gritted his teeth, maintaining control somehow. He refused to release until she did, beginning to pound her harder as the sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoed throughout the room.

"J-Jon…" Tayce's voice trembled, barely hanging onto the lockers because she felt like melting in a pool at his feet, heat flooding every part of her body. "I'm so close, baby…"

"Then let go." Jon growled, loving how flexible she was as he increased his grip on the back of her knee and could see the pure ecstasy wash over Tayce's face. "That's it baby, cum for Mox…cum all over me…"

As soon as he called himself Mox, that was all Tayce could handle and her complete undoing, the hot coil springing free. Her hot juices flowed, coating his cock as a rush of euphoria overtook her from head to toe. Jon closed his eyes tightly shut, feeling her walls wrap around him in a tight warm wet cocoon and tightened his jaw. A few thrusts later, he couldn't hold back his own release and exploded his seed inside of her, filling Tayce completely. He didn't stop thrusting until his cock went limp inside of her, both of them breathing heavily with pounding hearts. Carefully, Jon lowered Tayce's leg to the floor and wrapped his arms around her, covering her mouth with his in a passionate kiss.

The kiss said one thing: She belonged to him and only him.

Shortly after their impromptu romp, Joe and Colby came back with a plate of food for Jon and Tayce, knowing they always shared. Tayce had slipped her panties back on and Jon had adjusted himself, making sure no evidence was left behind from their sexual bout. They headed out for the segment with Tayce giving Jon a long lingering kiss and a smack on his cargo pant covered backside, smirking when he growled. She giggled, watching them walk down the hallway and headed back inside the Shield locker room to clean up their mess and pack up for the evening. They would be leaving shortly after the segment. Curiosity got the better of Tayce and she found herself sitting in front of the monitor, watching in sick satisfaction as the Shield bombarded Randy Orton during an interview. He'd already been put through a table it looked like when the segment started, so they were kicking and hitting him relentlessly. It was a quick segment and they were gone before anyone could come to Randy's aid.

"That's my boys." She whispered with a smile, turning the monitor off and looked up when Sophie and Celeste walked through the door. "What's up?"

"Celeste and I wanted you to come out with us tonight." Sophie stated, cutting right to the chase. "It's been a while since we had a girl's night out. So, will you come and have a few drinks?"

All Tayce wanted to do was go back to the hotel and ravage Jon for the rest of the night, especially after seeing that segment, but she also couldn't let her friends down. "Alright, but we can't stay out late." She stated, grunting when both Celeste and Sophie squealed in unison, bombarding her with hugs.

"Great! Joe and Colby already know, so they'll inform Jon on what's going on." Sophie took Tayce's hand and pulled her toward the door, ignoring the woman's protests. "Jon can survive without you for a couple hours, Tayce, come on!"

Grumbling, Tayce reluctantly let them guide her out of the dressing room and arena, hoping Jon was alright with this. She piled into Sophie's rental car and they were gone a few minutes later, jamming to Adele on the radio. They decided to go to a local bar and grill, just wanting to escape everything for a couple hours. After ordering fruity alcoholic drinks with umbrellas in them, Celeste started talking about her wedding, this time a lot more tame.

"So I'm thinking of making my wedding colors teal. It's a green and blue mixed together with either black or silver. We haven't decided yet, but things are coming along. I can't wait to marry Colby." Happiness shined in her hazel eyes while talking about the upcoming ceremony where Celeste would become Colby's wife. "Anyway enough about my wedding…"

"What about you, Tayce?" Sophie turned the attention to her friend, smiling softly. "Have you decided if you're eloping or not with Jon?"

"I still say you shouldn't because you only get married once – well, most people do anyway." Celeste quickly corrected herself, a firm believer in one-time only marriages. "I mean look at Sophie and Joe. They had a beautiful ceremony and it didn't take that much to put together. You could do something simple like that."

"What kind of flowers are you having in your wedding?" Tayce asked, changing the subject back to Celeste's wedding, but the women weren't letting her get away with it.

"Don't try changing the subject." Sophie ordered, sipping her own drink and ignored Tayce's scowl. "Don't tell me you haven't talked to Jon about the wedding yet." Her blue eyes widened when Tayce lowered her head. "You haven't?"

"Tayce, what the hell are you waiting for?" Celeste demanded, both of them tag teaming their friend now. "What's going on with you? You've been different since we came back on the road from break. Did something happen?"

"You can talk to us sweetie, you know that." Sophie took Tayce's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's just us and whatever you say will stay confidential. We're worried about you."

Tayce could feel the emotions bubbling up inside of her and blinked tears away, but one escaped rolling down her cheek. "You promise?" She looked at Sophie and then Celeste, hoping she could trust them and they wouldn't betray her.

"Of course."

"Absolutely, now talk."

Taking a deep breath, Tayce began telling them about her conversation with Sami a few weeks ago, not leaving anything out.

Not even the part where he was Jon's Best Man.

**~!~**

Jon wasn't thrilled that Tayce had taken off with Celeste and Sophie, but he also figured she needed a cool down after their activity earlier. Joe and Colby still had no idea what happened and Jon wasn't telling them. There were some things that happened in life that didn't need to be discussed, especially when it came to him and Tayce. So while the girls were out having a good time, the guys decided to stop at a liquor store to get some beer and ordered a pizza. Colby fired up the PS3 they traveled with and popped in Call of Duty, their current favorite video game.

"So, have you and Tayce decided when you're getting hitched?" Colby asked, popping a beer open and took a swig while Jon and Joe took the first round with gaming. Whoever lost, he would take the controller from.

Jon shook his head, focused on the game. "No, she hasn't brought it up since we've been back on the road. Fuck man, you just blew my ass sky high!"

Joe smirked, shrugging. "Watch your back better, bro."

"Whatever asshole." Jon flipped him off and kept plugging away at the game, smirking when he threw a grenade at Joe's character. "Payback is a mother fucker, isn't it?"

"Son of a bitch!"

"Well don't you think you should bring it up to her?" Colby pressed on, not dropping the subject and raised a brow when Jon shrugged again. "Man I'm serious, Celeste is already in planning stages and that's how Tayce should be. Unless you guys really are eloping to Vegas?"

"I don't know." Jon suddenly paused the game and looked over at Colby along with Joe, wondering why he was bringing this up now. "Why do you care anyway, man?"

"Because you're my friend and I really don't want Tayce blindsiding you by calling off the engagement." Colby replied truthfully, grabbing a piece of pizza out of one of the boxes. They got extra in case the women were hungry when they finally made it back to the suite. "Even eloping takes planning and she hasn't done anything or mentioned it. Don't you find that a little…weird?"

Now that Jon thought about it, Tayce was always on him about details regarding everything in their lives. From the time she was 16, she'd always been efficient and planned everything out that had to happen, especially when he got into the Indies. It did make Jon start questioning if Tayce was serious about her proposal to him. Did she want to still marry him or was she sticking with it out of obligation?

"Where are you going?" Colby asked, standing up along with Joe, both of them worried for their friend.

"Smoke."

Jon held his pack of cigarettes up, not bothering looking back at them and had his can of open beer in the other hand, needing some much needed air. Once outside in the crisp night, Jon leaned against the balcony ledge and lit up his cigarette, letting the nicotine fill his body to calm his racing mind. What if Tayce didn't want to get married anymore? Hell, Jon had no idea what was going through her mind these days and decided maybe it was time to stop procrastinating the wedding planning. Marcie wanted to know when they were getting married and refused to let them elope, so Jon knew they would have an actual ceremony.

It was definitely time for a serious talk with Tayce.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The talk never happened.

The weekend was packed full of signings, house shows and finally the TLC pay-per-view. Tayce had to accompany the Shield out to the ring for it since the bosses wanted the crowd more familiar with her. She didn't mind and had a tactical vest made up in wardrobe along with a pair of black cargo pants, both feminine. She had her hair up in a high ponytail, her bangs angled to frame her forehead and rest against her cheek. Smoky eyes, clear gloss and foundation consisted of her makeup and her feet were encased in two inch steel toed boots. The last thing Tayce wanted to do was trip and fall down the stairs during the Shield's entrance.

Brutality.

That was the only word Tayce could think of to describe the match. Every time Jon's body crashed against a ladder, she visibly cringed and cupped her mouth with her hands. He dished out just as much punishment though, but the scariest moment of the match went to Colby. Toward the end of the match, Ryan had chased Colby up a ladder, then another and yanked him off of it to crash through two tables set up on top of each other below. Colby hadn't thrown himself back enough when Ryan made the pull, so when Colby's body crashed through the tables, his head hit the edge of the second one. Tayce would've bet her life on it that Colby had brained himself with that stunt, but the man didn't even have a concussion! That match solidified the Shield's present and future in the WWE, showing everyone they were the real deal and not to be taken lightly.

After the TLC pay-per-view, things became extremely hectic leading into the Royal Rumble. It was a few days before the Royal Rumble and Tayce had to fly back to Tampa by herself because Jon had to stay behind with Joe and Colby for an event. So Jon would be flying in tomorrow on Thursday so they could have at least one day home alone. Friday and Saturday were signings and house shows leading into the pay-per-view, so they would have a very busy weekend. Tayce arrived in Tampa around 10 AM, stopped at the grocery store to grab a few things and then headed to the apartment. She quickly made something to eat and then cleaned the apartment from top to bottom, mostly dusting.

Once she finished, Tayce started looking through her wardrobe and realized she had nothing to wear for the upcoming pay-per-view. A trip to the mall was definitely in Tayce's future. Jon hated shopping, so Tayce decided it would be best to get it out of the way before he arrived home tomorrow. Sighing, Tayce jumped in the shower quickly and slipped on a pair of blue jean shorts with a yellow short sleeved baby doll, a white camisole beneath. Her makeup was natural bronze, black eyeliner, gloss and foundation. She pushed her hair back with a matching yellow headband, slipped her blue flip-flops on and headed out the door with purse and car keys in hand. On the drive to the mall, Tayce received a phone call and answered it, having her Bluetooth earpiece in her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey boss lady." Jon greeted, sounding somewhat tired while waiting to go sit down for the signing they were at.

Tayce frowned at the depression in Jon's voice and knew he wished he could've come home with her. "Hey Mox, what's wrong?" She asked, turning the radio down so she could clearly hear him and focus on driving.

"Nothing, waiting to go bruise my hand with all the damn signatures I have to do." He mumbled, closing his eyes at the sound of her voice. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. You'll be home tomorrow." She knew he had another event after the signing and would be too exhausted to hop on a plane afterwards. "Joe and Colby will keep you company."

"Not the way you can though." Jon argued, dropping his voice to a low raspy tone, knowing she wouldn't be able to disagree with him. "What are you doing?"

Tayce snaked her tongue out to wet her suddenly dry lips and knew exactly what he meant, stopping at a red light. "I'm on my way to the mall to grab a few things. I figured I'd get my shopping out of the way before you came home tomorrow since you hate the mall."

Smirking, Jon still couldn't believe how well this woman knew him, though he shouldn't be too surprised. "Good idea because once I get home, you will be naked for the next 24 hours with me in our bed." He promised, nodding when Joe and Colby waved at him to get off the phone. "Listen, I gotta go, but I'll call you tonight if I'm not too tired."

"Okay Mox, go kick some signing ass. I love you."

"Love you too, boss lady."

They hung up and Tayce placed her cell phone in her purse, though she kept her Bluetooth in her ear in case someone else decided to call her. Nobody else did thankfully. She pulled into the mall parking lot 20 minutes later and stepped out, heading inside to try to find something to wear for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Tayce pushed her black sunglasses on top of her head and walked into the first shop she saw, sifting through the dresses. When she didn't find anything worthy of buying, Tayce headed off to the next place and felt like someone was watching her. Every time she turned around, she didn't see anyone out of the ordinary and mentally shook herself, starting to walk again.

Then Tayce's cell phone vibrated in her pocket.

**I'm watching you.**

"What the fuck?" Tayce muttered, frowning and looked around again, wondering if maybe coming shopping alone was the best idea. She'd only taken a few more steps when another text vibrated her phone.

**Turn around.**

Out of pure panic, Tayce followed the text instruction and whipped around, nearly colliding with the person standing directly behind her. She looked up and locked eyes with familiar fern green, jaw dropping at the sight of Sam Johnston. Sami. He was in Tampa…he was here ALREADY? Sami smiled back at her and reached out to cup her face with his hand, but Tayce instinctively took a step back, heart pounding vigorously in her chest. Then she looked down at her phone and back up at him, noticing he had his in hand. Was he the one sending those cryptic text messages?

"You?" Tayce held her cell phone up, a smirk crossing Sami's face and a second later, he received a hard sock to his shoulder. "You ASSHOLE! Christ, I thought someone was stalking me!"

Sami chuckled, rubbing his shoulder since that was a hard hit, but the smirk never left his lips. "Well technically, I WAS stalking you…" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"What are you doing here, Sami?" Tayce demanded, folding her arms in front of her chest after tucking her cell phone back in her purse, amber eyes guarded.

"Isn't it obvious, precious?" He walked past her, inhaling her scent as he did so and looked inside the dress shop they stood outside of. "I live in Tampa now, so figured I'd check the sights out. What are YOU doing here? Where's Moxley?"

Tayce heaved a sigh, the citrine stone like a huge bull's-eye on her left ring finger staring mockingly back at Sami. "He's out of town doing signings and an event that I wasn't involved in, so he's flying home tomorrow before Royal Rumble this weekend."

So Jon was out of town and poor Tayce was all by her lonesome? Sami had to stop the evil smile from crossing his face and simply nodded, the gears in his head turning rapidly. This was his chance. He had the perfect opportunity to convince Tayce not to marry Jon and be with him. To choose the RIGHT man. But he had to do this smart because of how skittish she was. The text messaging probably wasn't the brightest idea to do, but when Sami spotted her in the mall, he had to mess with her a little bit.

"Look, I have to go…"

"No wait." Sami reached out for her and frowned when she backed away again.

"No, I have to go, Sami."

Turning, Tayce headed into the dress shop they stood outside of and made her way through the aisles, needing to distance herself from him. It didn't work. She felt Sami behind her and didn't have to turn around, pretending like she was sifting through the dresses. Honestly, some of them weren't half bad and Tayce contemplated purchasing one, but Sami was distracting her. Sami didn't say a word, watching her looking through all the different color dresses and reached a hand out, fingering a wine colored material. Tayce looked at it in spite of her current company and frowned, hating that she actually liked it. The style was perfect, not too over the top and definitely something Tayce could see herself wearing at the pay-per-view. Not saying a word to Sami, Tayce took it off the rack and headed further down the aisle until she arrived at the changing rooms.

"Sami, don't you follow me in here…No! You can't-" Sami's hand went over her mouth, preventing her from saying another word as he pressed her against the wall.

"Just hear me out." He pleaded in a soft voice, not wanting anyone else to overhear them. "I didn't plan for this to happen. I didn't think I'd run into you. I thought you were on the road with Jon. Look, we were meant to run into each other today. That's not just coincidence, Tayce. You know it and so do I." He lowered his face until his nose very lightly brushed against hers, hearing her whimper against his hand, their eyes locked. "Come over to my place tonight."

Amber eyes shot open as Tayce stared at Sami like he'd just grown 3 heads, breathing heavily against his hand and suddenly pushed it away. "Have you completely lost your mind?" She demanded roughly, keeping her own voice down.

"No, I recently got my apartment and wanted you to see it. I was going to ask when you and Jon had your next days off so you could come check it out, but Jon isn't here. And I honestly want to spend some time with you." Sami fought the urge to run his finger down her cheek, knowing that would just piss her off further. "I'll make dinner tonight and we can watch a movie or just talk if you want. Come on Tayce, it's been a while since we hung out and I miss you."

Tayce pursed her lips tightly together and simply stared into his eyes suspiciously, wondering what tricks he had up his sleeve this time. "How do I know this isn't a trap?" She demanded, no humor whatsoever in her posture and eyes. "How do I know you're not just trying to get me to change my mind about marrying Jon? I LOVE him, Sami."

"I know." Those two words were hard to say, but if Sami's plan worked, he would get what he wanted and that was the woman standing before him. "I get it. I just want to be friends with you. And friends hang out together, right? So come over, I'll make food and we can talk about anything you want. Please Tayce."

Knowing this was a mistake, but unable to resist those fern green eyes full of desperation and hope, Tayce gave in. "What time?" She grunted when Sami hugged her tightly, pressing her against his chest and reluctantly wrapped her arms around him, returning the embrace.

"How does 7 sound?" Sami asked eagerly, happiness making his green eyes light up like emeralds. "We can make it later if you want."

"No, 7 sounds fine. Now get out of here so I can try this on, buy it and hang out with you." She ordered, pulling out a pen from her purse with a small notepad, scrawling his address down on it.

Before Sami left the changing room and hideous store, he looked back at her with that same desperate hope. "Don't punk out on me, Tayce." He winked, leaving her alone to do her thing and headed out of the mall with newfound faith in his mind and heart.

Tayce Stevens would belong to him when it was all said and done.

After trying the dress on, Tayce was thankful it was perfect and immediately purchased it, heading out of the mall after grabbing a pair of heels. They were black and strapped up her calves in a crisscross style, open toed since they would be in Phoenix, Arizona. It would be around the 70's during the day, 50's at night. The dress had long sleeves, but left her shoulders bare and went two inches above the knee, a deep rich wine color. Driving home, Tayce texted both Sophie and Celeste, letting them know she found the perfect dress to wear for the upcoming event.

7 PM came faster than Tayce would've liked. She stared in the full length mirror in the bedroom of her and Jon's apartment, contemplating if she was doing the right thing by going to Sami's. Her outfit consisted of a simple pair of dark green capris with a black and dark green tank top, black sandals on her feet. She left her hair down and went natural with her makeup, black eyeliner, gloss and foundation. It was just dinner and a movie or talking, whatever Sami had planned, she kept rationalizing in her head, but she couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of her stomach there was more to this. Granted, her and Sami's phone calls hadn't been that friendly as of late, especially when he found out from Jon they were getting married. Before she could change her mind, Tayce grabbed her purse with car keys, cell phone and wallet inside, heading out the door.

10 minutes later, Tayce stood outside of Sami's apartment and looked down at the piece of paper, hoping this was the right place. She rose her hand up and knocked a few times on it, plastering on a smile as soon as Sami let her inside. They embraced briefly and Sami gave her a small tour of the two bedroom apartment while dinner finished cooking. He made tacos, one of their favorite guilty pleasures they shared together during CZW. Sami was obsessed with them and Tayce often joked he would turn into a taco before long. Once dinner finished, the alcohol began flowing and it took a little convincing on Sami's part to make Tayce participate. Before Tayce knew it, the clock struck midnight and they were both plastered, leaning against each other on the couch.

"You're so fucking beautiful, Tayce." Sami rumbled in her ear, his hand slipping beneath her tank top to splay against her bare stomach, both of them shivering at the contact.

"So I've been told." Tayce murmured, trying to get her head to stop swimming, but it was useless. There was no way she could drive home. "W-What are you doing?" She demanded weakly, trying not to whimper out when his mouth attached to the sensitive spot on her neck. "Sami…"

"What precious?"

"I'm engaged to Jon…" She reminded him, trying to pull away and felt Sami stand up from the couch, yanking her up flush against his body.

"Goddamn it Tayce, you're not with a fucking stranger here. You're with someone you've known most of your life, since we were kids actually. You can't deny that there's something here, deep beneath the surface. You may love Jon, but you also love me and you can't deny it even if your life depended on it. I dare you to tell me you don't want this." Sami challenged in a growl, his hand going to the button on her capris and heard her whimper, green eyes glowing with barely contained lust. "See? You can't and you won't."

Tayce opened her mouth to protest again and Sami merely pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. The zipper on her capris slid down as they dropped to the floor in a puddle at her feet, Tayce stepping out of them. What was she doing? Jon…He momentarily left her mind when Sami turned her around with her back pressed against his chest, his mouth once again attaching to her neck while strong hands slid down her sides beneath the tank top again.

"Jon doesn't love you, Tayce." He mumbled against her soft skin, bunching the tank top and slid it over her head, dropping it to the floor leaving her clad in a dark green bra and boy cut panties. "He doesn't want to marry you." While Sami spoke, he started guiding Tayce down the hallway from the living room to his bedroom, his mouth once again assaulting her neck and ear. "But I know you're going to end up marrying him and I'm fine with it. But I refuse to let you do it until I have you completely one last time."

"Sami…"

His hand went to the clasp on her bra, feeling it loosen and slid it off her arms, his hands massaging her full breasts. "Nobody has to know about this. Just let me love you, Tayce." His whispered in her ear, feeling her slowly turn around to face him and his mouth instantly covered hers, knowing she wouldn't fight him off.

They both fell on the bed, clothes flying in all directions and Tayce did the unthinkable, giving herself completely to Sami that night.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?"

Tayce trembled from head to toe, feeling nauseous since she jumped up from the bed and tears instantly began streaming down her cheeks. Waking up naked next to Sami was the LAST thing Tayce expected. She didn't remember anything from the previous night past starting to drink in the living room. His nose buried in her neck had stirred Tayce's body awake along with his hand slipping between her legs. At first she thought it was Jon and simply melted against him, but somehow the touch didn't feel right…familiar, but not right. Her suspicions had been confirmed when she heard Sami's voice in her ear, asking her if she was ready for another round with him. In that instant, the harsh reality of what happened crashed over her, though her foggy brain refused to let her remember the events from last night. Just from the ache between her thighs along with both of their naked bodies sleeping in the same bed together, Tayce knew exactly what happened and hated herself for it.

"Don't yell." Sami grumbled, trying to slow his racing heart down since she startled him awake. He'd been half-asleep when he decided to fool around and Tayce made him pay for it. "Just relax, Tayce…"

"Relax?" Tayce scoffed angrily, planting her hands on her hips and watched Sami's naked body slip from the bed walking toward her. "RELAX?"

"Yes, relax." He ordered, rubbing his green eyes and kept his voice low, his hands reaching out to grip her hips. "Just come back to bed and we can talk about this rationally."

Tayce gave him her answer by slapping the taste out of his mouth seconds later, the smack echoing off the walls of the bedroom. "FUCK YOU!" She shrieked, ignoring the pounding drum currently going on in her head.

Sami blinked, stumbling back and held his throbbing cheek with a dropped jaw, not believing she just struck him. Tayce had never lashed out like this before after they slept together. He knew the reason for it too. It was that rock on her finger that tied her to Jon instead of him. Granted, Sami knew last night he played dirty, but he was running out of options and wanted to show her just how much he loved her through actions. Now it was backfiring horribly and Sami had no idea how to fix it, if he could.

"Tayce, I'm sorry…"

"SHUT UP!"

Tayce did not want to hear any apologies come out of his mouth, bending down to swipe her clothes from the floor. She had to get out of here NOW. Jon would be coming home sometime today and…oh god, how was she supposed to face him?! Shaking her head, Tayce couldn't think about that right now and had to focus on getting dressed, shakily pulling her panties on. Sami made the mistake of trying to touch her again and Tayce whirled around, nailing him right between the legs.

"FUCK!" Sami bellowed, dropping to his knees in front of her, holding his throbbing jewels as his eyes crossed.

He deserved so much more than that, Tayce thought angrily, and ignored his writhing form on the floor at her feet. She clipped her bra on, slipping her tank top and capris on quickly, amber eyes scanning the room to make sure she didn't forget anything. Never again would Tayce come back here or trust Sami again, still not believing he betrayed her this way. Seducing her to have sex with him and knowing she was engaged to another man - his supposed best friend!

"Tayce, wait!" Sami cried out, somehow managing to get to his feet while still hunched over a little, tears leaking from his eyes. "Don't go back to him! I love you, he doesn't! I can give you everything and anything you want, just stay with me! CHOOSE ME, DAMN IT!"

Closing her eyes as fresh tears poured down her face, Tayce gritted her teeth and turned around, staring at him completely heartbrokenly. She suddenly stalked back into the bedroom, seeing the momentarily hope flash through those fern green eyes and felt a surge of anger flood her from head to toe. Her sandal covered foot buried in his stomach, making him drop to his knees instantly. Rolling over on his back was a mistake because Tayce started stomping him as hard as she could, sobbing violently.

"WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO UNDERSTAND? WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK FUCKING HEAD THAT IT'LL NEVER BE YOU? IT WILL NEVER BE YOU, SAM JOHNSTON! IT WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE JONATHAN GOOD! I HATE YOU FOR DOING THIS TO ME! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU STOOPED TO THIS LEVEL!" Tayce screamed, stomping on his stomach a few more times and finally stopped, stumbling back wiping her tears away angrily. "You've crossed the line this time, Johnston. I never want to see you again. Stay the fuck away from me. You've lost all of my trust, respect and what was left of our friendship. I hope it was worth it just to fuck me one last time."

"Tayce…" Sami coughed out, but it was no use.

He could only watch the woman he loved and shattered to pieces fly out of his room. The front door to the apartment slamming shut echoed moments later back at him and tears instantly slid down his face. Both physical and emotional pain rushed through him at once, forcing Sami to stay on the floor of his bedroom. He lost Tayce forever and Sami had nobody else to blame except himself.

Scrambling for her car keys, Tayce was shaking so badly that she dropped them 3 times while trying to unlock the door. She growled, snatching them back up each time and kept looking over her shoulder, waiting for Sami to chase after her. Once the car door finally opened, Tayce slid behind the wheel and tossed her purse on the passenger seat, peeling out of there like the hounds of hell were chasing her. She couldn't stop crying no matter how hard she tried, hitting the steering wheel repeatedly out of pure anger and hurt.

What the hell was she going to do?

Sami was Jon's Best Man at whatever kind of ceremony they were going to have. That couldn't happen, not after this. Tayce would have to come clean to Jon and hopefully she wouldn't lose him. There was no grey area, she had cheated on him with Sami and had nobody to blame. Sure, she could say Sami seduced her, which he partially did, but what difference would that make? Tayce laid down willingly, spread her thighs and let Sami have his way with her, all of it consensual. He didn't rape her, she could've walked away and left if she wanted to, even if she was heavily intoxicated.

It took Tayce over 10 years to reveal her true feelings to Jon and now she would more than likely lose him forever. She betrayed him in the worst way by cheating on him with their best friend, someone they knew their entire life. Tayce remembered how close Jon and Sami used to be, but once she left with Jon to pursue his wrestling dream, nothing was ever the same again. Sami joined them several years later and was the one to convince Jon to come to the CZW. Then Tayce made the grave mistake of starting a fling with Sami because now he fell in love with her and that wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to be this complicated!

Arriving home, Tayce grabbed her purse with her cell phone and headed inside the apartment, finally feeling the ability to breathe again. She closed the door with her back and slid down it, burying her face in her hands as her purse crashed to the floor. The guilt ate her alive and Tayce suddenly felt incredibly dirty, scratching her arms. Standing, Tayce immediately peeled the clothes off she wore to Sami's in the living room and tossed them away, not wanting any memory of it happening. It was bad enough she had to live with it for the rest of her life. Her panties and bra joined the tank top and capris along with the sandals. Tayce would've lit them on fire if it wouldn't cause the smoke detector to blare, which wouldn't do anything for her pounding head.

Still scratching her arms, Tayce immediately headed through the apartment to the bedroom she now shared with Jon, not stopping until she arrived at their private bathroom. She flipped the shower sprays on and made them as hot as she could stand them, taking her citrine engagement ring off setting it on the sink. Sniffling through tears, Tayce stepped under the sprays and hissed out at how hot the water was, but she didn't dare adjust the temperature. She deserved to burn for what she did to Jon. Grabbing the loofah sponge, Tayce poured some of her body wash into it and began scrubbing her body harshly, putting all of her strength into it. Gasping, Tayce dropped the loofah sponge when a flashback hit her hard, making her stumble back and grabbed the metal bar attached to the shower wall so she didn't land on her backside.

**~!~**

_Her back hit the soft bed with Sami hovering over her, their tongues dancing together seductively and she could feel his hard cock pressed against her belly. Tayce buried her fingers in his black hair, getting completely lost in the moment and felt Sami hook her leg around his waist. Deep in her heart, she knew this was wrong, but Tayce couldn't push him away, her body craving attention and his touch. Then her conscience kicked in and Tayce broke the kiss, trying to pull away from him whimpering as Jon entered her mind._

"_Escape with me, Tayce…" Sami crooned in her ear and molded her breasts with his hands, rolling her already hardened nipples between his fingers. "Give into me."_

"_This is wrong…" Her voice was distant and nothing more than a soft caress as Sami continued his administrations, his mouth once again attaching to her neck._

"_No, it's fucking right." He growled, taking her hand and slid it down his muscular chest to rest on his bulging cock through the confines of his jeans. "Tell me you don't want this."_

_Licking her lips, Tayce couldn't think through the alcohol induced haze and simply brought his mouth down on hers again, kissing him with a new fiery passion._

**~!~**

Tayce snapped her eyes open and felt a fresh waterfall of tears rush down her face, a shaky hand coming up to cover her mouth. Had she egged Sami on? What the hell had she done? It was her memory slowly flowing back to her from the previous night now that she was completely sober. How could Tayce not push him away and give in so easily? Was it the alcohol or did she truly believe what Sami said regarding Jon? Tayce sank to the shower floor on her knees, the hot water pounding down on her back and clutched the loofah sponge to her chest. Then another vision hit her, making her eyes squeeze tightly shut as her head pounded with ferocity.

**~!~**

"_Oh fuck Tayce…"_

_She smirked at the sound of her name escaping his lips and continued pleasuring him, driving his cock in and out of her mouth. His fingers buried in her golden auburn hair as Sami tried not to thrust his hips forward, not wanting to hurt Tayce in any way. She could feel the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat and drove him even deeper, getting lost in the moment. Sami wasn't as big as Jon, but he definitely had a nice sized cock that she absolutely enjoyed sucking and screwing. Sliding her hand up his muscular thigh, Tayce began fondling Sami's balls and heard a hiss escape his lips, her world suddenly being turned upside down._

"_If you're tasting me, I'm damn sure tasting you." Sami growled, having flipped her completely upside down with pure strength and planted both of them on the bed, his face buried in her beautiful wet sex. "Mmm much better, now finish me off, precious…"_

_Tayce's eyes flew open as soon as his tongue began sliding up and down her sensitive clit, moaning uncontrollably. She spread her thighs apart wider for him, bobbing her head up and down on his thick cock, both of them pleasuring each other to the fullest potential. Both fought and eventually gave in, tasting each other just the way Sami wanted. Tayce swallowed him nearly whole, not wasting a drop while Sami did the same thing to her, drinking his fill of her sweet hot essence._

**~!~**

Unable to hold back, Tayce retched right on the shower floor and wrapped her arms tightly around herself, trembling violently. She gripped the metal bar attached to the shower wall to pull herself up, letting the vomit wash away down the drain. Luckily, she didn't hurl on the loofah sponge and proceeded to scrub her skin until it was raw, the tears never stopping. Once she was sure every part of her body was scrubbed clean, including her back with a back scrubber, Tayce finally shut the water off and stepped out, wrapping a towel tightly around her body. She could barely see from how hard her head pounded against her skull, but Tayce had to get the taste of vomit out of her mouth. Quickly brushing her teeth, Tayce didn't bother with her hair, slipped her ring back on and stumbled out of the bathroom, collapsing in bed with just the towel. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut, another vision crashing over her harder than a tsunami wave.

**~!~**

"_Harder! Harder Sami!" Tayce panted on all fours, her nails digging into the comforter while he pounded in and out of her relentlessly._

_Growling, Sami gripped her hips and snapped his forward, his thrusts coming sharp and deep, brushing against her sweet spot every time. One thing Sami knew how to do was screw Tayce or else she wouldn't have come back to him in CZW after their first round. He suddenly pulled out of her and flipped her over to land on her back, his mouth crushing down on hers. Tayce moaned, parting her thighs and felt his fingers lace with hers, holding her down on the mattress. With pure leverage, Sami snapped hips to bury back inside of her and Tayce cried out in ecstasy. He didn't stop, pulling out and thrusting back inside, loving the sounds of her whimpers as she writhed beneath him. Increasing the pace, Sami captured her mouth again in a passionate kiss and buried his face in her neck, grunting. The sounds of flesh smacking flesh resonated around the room and Tayce was soon cumming in waves, giving Sami exactly what he wanted._

"_I love you, Tayce." He whispered in her ear, collapsing on top of her and released her hands to wrap his arms around her body. "Please don't marry, Jon. Stay with me instead."_

_That was the last thing Tayce heard Sami say before she passed out._

**~!~**

When Jon arrived home later that afternoon, he didn't like how quiet the apartment was. Normally, Tayce was out in the living room with the television on either reading a book or doing some crosswords in a book she bought. Every town they stopped in, Tayce would grab one of those stupid books with the word **CROSSWORDS** scrawled on the front of them. Frowning, Jon went back to the bedroom and set his bag down, smiling at the sight of his beautiful fiancée sleeping in bed with just a towel. As tempting as it was to disturb her, he decided against it and simply dropped a soft kiss on her forehead, heading back out to the kitchen to make something to eat.

Tayce opened her eyes as soon as the bedroom door closed and immediately shut them again, fresh tears falling. "I'm sorry, Jon, I'm so sorry…" She whispered heartbrokenly, immediately falling back to sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Something was wrong.

Jon could feel it in the pit of his stomach, but he wasn't sure what it was. Tayce had slept throughout the one day they were home alone, so Jon spent the majority of the time gaming. She woke up once to walk out of the room for something to drink and headed right back inside after gulping a glass of water down. When Jon asked her what was wrong, Tayce lied and told him she had a migraine. That was it. Jon could see the tears budding in her eyes and chalked it up to pain from the migraine, though his sixth sense told him it was something entirely different. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

They left the next day and Tayce was quiet, only answering questions when Jon asked them, not contributing to any kind of conversation. He tried making her laugh and that didn't work either. It felt like he was with a complete stranger and Jon didn't like it. Not at all. He wanted his fun loving Tayce back, not this shell of her that stood beside him. Jon finally gave up after several attempts to talk to Tayce and decided when she was ready, she would come to him. She was a very stubborn woman and refused to talk about whatever was bothering her until she was ready. Nobody would force her to do it, not even Jon. So he left her alone to try to gather her thoughts and focused on the upcoming pay-per-view, not believing WrestleMania was just on the horizon.

Tayce knew she was pushing Jon away and leaving him in the dark, but she couldn't help it. She didn't know what else to do. The more she thought about coming clean and telling him what happened with Sami, the more terrified she felt. Tayce didn't want to hurt Jon, so maybe what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. It was a onetime deal with Sami and would never happen again, not unless it was over her dead body. Then there would really be no point. Before Tayce could make a final decision, she had to talk to her two best friends aside from Jon, needing their opinion. They would more than likely rip her apart, but Tayce couldn't keep this to herself because the guilt would devour her whole.

Before she knew it, the day of Royal Rumble had arrived. Jon was on pins and needles, smoking more than normal while trying to control his nerves. Tayce didn't blame him. The Shield didn't have a match, but they were going to attack The Rock, who was known worldwide not only because of his Hollywood career as Dwayne Johnson, but because of the massive success he had in WWE. He was also related to the huge Anoa'i family by marriage, which made him one of Joe's many cousins. He was at Joe and Sophie's wedding too, so at least Jon got to know him a little bit along with Tayce. Still, the thought of giving a beat down to a member of Joe's family and a WWE legend like Dwayne made Jon feel sick to his stomach. He needed a distraction of some sort and zeroed in on Tayce, waiting until they arrived in their hotel room.

"Jon, what are you-" Tayce was effectively cut off by being jerked flush against his muscular body and his mouth descending hungrily on hers.

It was the first time in 3 days since Tayce felt Jon's lips and she couldn't push him away even if her life depended on it. He growled when she returned the kiss and planted his hands on her backside, lifting her up to force her legs around his waist, the kiss not breaking. She felt awful and so good at the same time. How was that possible? Her mouth opened as soon as his tongue swiped across her bottom lip and they tasted each other, their bodies both burning. Tayce draped her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his hair, every part of her body lighting on fire.

"There's my boss lady." He rumbled in a raspy voice after the kiss broke, their foreheads instantly meeting. "I was afraid you'd gotten rid of her."

"Jon…" This was the time to tell him. She could feel the words bubbling up inside of her threatening to unleash, but fear held her back. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for ignoring you the past few days. I've just had a lot on my mind and…" Tayce pulled back, running the pad of her thumb across his lips while staring into his beautiful bluish grey eyes. "I love you. That hasn't changed and it never will."

"I love you too, Tayce. I just wish you'd talk to me about whatever's been bothering you. I can help, if you give me a chance." Jon stated, brushing his mouth against hers gently and smiled as their noses rubbed against each other. "I'm here for you, boss lady. Whatever it is, we can fucking work it out."

If only that were true, Tayce thought, wanting to believe him in the worst way, but she couldn't. Not yet. Not until she talked to her friends and figured out how to go about telling him she cheated with Sami. Tayce kissed him again, this time deeper and harder, feeling Jon sit down on the bed as she pushed him down on it. Keeping herself straddled on his lap, Tayce peeled the shirt off she wore and tossed it behind her, knowing they had a few hours before they had to be at the arena. It was wrong to have sex with Jon and she knew it, but Tayce needed him to make her forget what happened…even for a little while. She was selfish, the furthest thing from perfect and she knew Jon needed the distraction or else he'd end up smoking himself out on the balcony.

Jon was not complaining at all and licked his lips, immediately sitting up wrapping her legs around his waist, his mouth descending on her neck. His hand slid up her soft back to unsnap her bra, pulling the offending material away and let his eyes feast on her beautiful breasts. His mouth went to the first hardened peak while his hand massaged the other one, groaning as soon as her fingers buried in his curls again. Whatever was bothering her, Jon wanted to help in any way he could, so if sex was the answer so be it. He just wanted his Tayce back, not this shell of a woman she was for the past 3 days. That's not who he was in love with, the fiery woman currently wrapped around his body was the Tayce he loved and wanted to marry. Clothes flew in all directions, neither taking their time because it'd been too long since Jon had been buried to the hilt inside his beautiful fiancée. He craved her and Tayce needed the release badly, so the foreplay was pushed to the backburner as they took each other to heights only they could reach together.

It was bittersweet for Tayce.

2 hours later, Tayce and Jon were headed to the arena with smiles on their faces, the first for Tayce in a couple days. The smile would vanish as soon as she walked away from Jon to find Celeste and Sophie at the arena, but for now she enjoyed it. Jon opened up to her about his nerves, not releasing her hand for a second while they drove to the arena and even kissed the back of it a few times. Tayce gave him a pep talk like always and leaned over to softly kiss him when they were stopped at a red light, reminding him that he was the best. There was nobody better than him and she meant that in more ways than one. That seemed to work because Jon looked and felt more relaxed once they arrived at the arena.

"What would I do without you, boss lady?" Jon demanded, drawing Tayce into his arms and softly kissed her. "And for the record, I'm thoroughly enjoying the dress you're wearing tonight." He slowly gave her a twirl, admiring how the dress accentuated her curves and rested at mid-thigh. It was the wine dress Sami helped Tayce pick out at the mall. "I hope you also know that, if you don't want it destroyed, you will have it off as soon as we get back to the hotel tonight."

Tayce shivered at his low raspy voice and nodded in understanding, complying with whatever he wanted. "You got it, Mox. Come on, we gotta head inside so you can get ready for the show and I need to track down Sophie. Girl talk." She winked when Jon rose a brow, squeezing his hand reassuringly and they parted ways shortly after walking inside the arena.

It didn't take long to track down Sophie, especially since Tayce had sent her a text begging to talk as soon as she arrived with Jon. "What is going on, woman?" Sophie demanded, pulling back to stare in guilt-ridden amber orbs and knew this wasn't good. "Talk to me. What happened? Do I have to kick Jon's ass?"

"No." Tayce shook her head instantly, chewing her bottom lip nervously. "Celeste should be here any minute and then I'll tell both of you at the same time. I screwed up badly, Soph." Tears swelled in Tayce's eyes and Sophie pulled her into a hug, blinking them back because she didn't deserve to shed any for the despicable thing she did.

"Okay I'm here, sorry!" Celeste bounded up a few minutes later, frowning at the amount of sadness on Tayce's face and swallowed hard. "What's going on?"

Tayce began pacing, trying to choose her words carefully because the last thing she wanted to do was lose her two closest friends. "I slept with Sami." She suddenly blurted out, keeping her voice down and watched as her two friend's eyes went wide as potatoes. "I-I didn't mean for it to happen. Please hear me out first!"

Sophie took a deep breath and held her hand up before Celeste could fly off the handle, shaking her head. "Let's hear her out first." She stated, folding her arms in front of her chest and stared at Tayce intently. "What happened?"

Slowly, Tayce recounted everything that happened on her day off without Jon in Tampa and her run-in with Sami. She didn't leave anything out, letting the tears finally flood down her cheeks as she leaned against the wall, keeping her eyes lowered to the floor. From the cryptic text messages, to the chase in the dress shop and being cornered in the dressing room, to Sami's invite to dinner at his new apartment and them ending up in an alcohol induced sexual night.

"I swear to you, I swear to the fucking stars that I did NOT know what Sami's true intentions were. I thought he understood that it would always be Jon, that it would never be him. I know he's in love with me, he's made that perfectly clear and he doesn't want me to marry Jon. I knew that going into it, but…I've known Sami nearly my entire life – as long as I've known Jon. So I trusted him…" Tayce wrapped her arms around herself, trembling slightly and knew she couldn't fall apart right now. She had to remain strong and fight through this. "I trusted him and he betrayed me…"

Sophie was the first to step forward and grabbed both of Tayce's shoulders, forcing her tear-filled bloodshot amber eyes to meet icy blues. "It's not your fault." She held her hand up, stopping Tayce from arguing with her and cupped her face in gentle hands. "Listen to me Tayce, it's not your fault what happened."

"How the hell do you figure that?" Celeste blurted out, gaping at Sophie and couldn't believe what she was hearing. "She cheated on Jon with their best friend! How is it not her fault?"

Sophie shot a glare back at Celeste, taking a deep breath to keep her temper simmered. She was pissed and it showed in her ice cold eyes. "Because she went over there for DINNER and nothing more. Alcohol is very evil and makes us do and say things we don't mean. Trust me, I know that better than anyone. Before my father got his shit together enough to marry the whore he's having a demon spawn with now, he was a heavy drinker and used to tell me how worthless I was. He hit me a couple times too, but that stopped once my Uncle Roddy found out and blasted his fist in my father's face. He never touched me after that ass beating and that's exactly what Sami needs. The ass kicking of a lifetime."

"But it is my fault…" Tayce whimpered, not believing Sophie wasn't kicking the hell out of her for what she did to Jon. "I remember…"

"It doesn't matter. He seduced you after liquoring you up to the point where you were so obliterated, you couldn't remember what happened until the next day in flashbacks." Sophie explained, trying to make Tayce see it from her point of view because she couldn't take the full blame for this. A huge part of it fell on Sami's shoulders. "I don't care if you were completely consensual with everything that happened that night. You tried fighting him off, but alcohol makes you do nasty horrible things. It clouds your judgment and, even though I do agree that you are partially to blame for this, all you did wrong was agree to drink with him. The moment he handed you that first shot, you should've walked out and never looked back. But shit happens and we can't change it. We can only try to correct the wrongs we make in life."

"Tell me what to do, Soph. I'm so confused right now." Tayce sniffled, knowing Celeste hated her and honestly didn't care since she thought of Sophie as more of a friend than the other woman. "If I tell Jon what I did, he'll never forgive me. He'll think I betrayed him again and I can't…I can't lose him…" She began crying harder, burying her face in her hands as she slid down the wall with Sophie following, sitting beside her.

"You won't lose Jon. That man loves you so much, it's ridiculous. Look at me and Joe and how much shit we've been through together. If we can get through all the hate, animosity and come out on top married to each other and completely in love, then you and Jon can make it through this. But you have to be honest with him. You have to tell him the truth and be prepared to fight for him because he will try to walk away. You can't let him though, Tayce. Do you hear me? You make him believe that you love him, only him and he's the only one you want for the rest of your damn life." Sophie wrapped an arm around Tayce's shoulders and tried calming her down, ignoring Celeste's look of revulsion at both of them. "Celeste, you can leave now and if you open your mouth to Colby about this, I will make sure you never talk again because I'll rip your tongue out of your mouth. Are we clear?"

"Whatever." Celeste rolled her eyes and stalked off, leaving Sophie and Tayce completely alone because she wanted nothing to do with Tayce's drama, having her own wedding to plan.

"She hates me." Tayce whispered heartbrokenly, pulling away to look into Sophie's eyes. "Why aren't you kicking my ass for what I did?"

Sophie smiled, wiping the tears away from Tayce's face. "Because nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes and I would be a complete bitch to walk away from our friendship just because you had a momentary relapse in judgment. You do have to tell Jon though, Tayce. Because something tells me this situation with Sami isn't over and he's going to tell Jon what happened."

Tayce knew Sophie was right, but now she just had to figure out the right way, time and place to come clean to Jon, knowing it had to be sooner rather than later. "I'll tell him, I just need a few days to get my head on straight. I know marriage is built on trust and honesty, so if I keep this hidden than I'll never have the marriage I truly want with Jon." They both stood up and walked down the hallway together toward the nearest bathroom so Tayce could clean herself up, not wanting Jon to know she'd been crying.

Neither noticed the pair of cold mystic blue eyes watching the women walk away or the fact they had overheard the entire conversation, a smirk curving their lips evilly.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Tayce decided to come clean to Jon on their next days off in Tampa, which would be Wednesday and Thursday. She didn't want to do it while they were on the road and distract him from doing his job. It only took one move while a wrestler was in the ring and distraction was a major downfall, which caused a lot of the injuries. She refused to let Jon get hurt because of her infidelity and figured coming clean at home would be better. He could scream and carry on all he wanted because it would be just the two of them. Tayce deserved everything she got coming and was prepared for the absolute worse, mentally preparing herself for it.

Monday Night Raw was in Las Vegas, Nevada the night following Royal Rumble and Jon had been making jokes about getting hitched to Tayce. She smiled through them, but honestly her heart broke since she couldn't marry him until he knew the truth. If she hadn't cheated on him with Sami, Tayce would've dragged Jon to the nearest chapel before Raw started. That's how badly she wanted to be his wife, to tie herself to him in every way possible. Tayce also had something else to be nervous about because her segments with Randy Orton started tonight. They would be sporadic throughout the shows, some wouldn't have them and some would, leading up to WrestleMania.

Wearing a pair of black cargo pants that molded to her legs and backside perfectly with a Shield sleeveless top cropped to show off some of her midsection, Tayce finished the outfit off with feminine black steel toed boots. Her hair was slicked back in a high ponytail that had loose curls throughout it for style. Her makeup was smoky eyes, clear gloss and foundation, black fingerless gloves adorning her hands. At first the bosses wanted her to continue wearing the tactical vest, but they also wanted to promote the Shield's merchandise to the fans. So what better way to do that than using their valet?

Once she was dolled up and ready for the night's events, Tayce headed outside once the doors closed for the fans to have a quick cigarette to calm her nerves. Sophie asked her if she'd told Jon about what happened with Sami and she explained her plan, both of them leaving Celeste completely out of it. If she ran her mouth to Colby, he wasn't talking and hadn't treated Tayce any differently. So more than likely she'd kept her mouth shut and took Sophie's threat to heart. Smirking, Tayce sat on the equipment trunk and knew Jon couldn't join her since he was pumping up for his segment with pushups in the dressing room.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Tayce didn't have to look to her right to see who was approaching her and flicked ash in his direction, watching him pull out his own smokes to light one up. "What do you want, Orton?" She demanded, cutting straight to the chase and scooted over as soon as he hopped up on the equipment trunk to sit beside her.

Randy smirked, taking a deep drag from his cigarette and let the nicotine fill his body, wearing just his wrestling tights. "Nothing, I'm out here having my pre-match smoke. Get over yourself." He snorted, staring straight ahead and could feel the nervousness oozing from every pore of her beautiful body. "Relax, I'm not going to do anything to you."

"I know that." Tayce tried sounding brave and blew smoke out of her mouth, glancing over at him out the corner of her eye. She definitely smelled a rat, but decided not to call him out on it…yet.

"Ready for our segment tonight?" Randy asked, trying to strike up some sort of conversation that he knew Tayce wanted nothing to do with. "I don't want you fucking it up with those nerves, so you better get it together."

"Believe me, I know what I'm doing. Just make sure you keep your hands where I can see them." She ordered gravely and hopped off the equipment trunk, flicking her cigarette away as she headed back inside the arena.

What Randy said next stopped Tayce dead in her tracks.

"So have you told Jon about your little romp with his best friend yet?" He made it sound so casual, the evil gleaming in his cold blue eyes and didn't bother looking at Tayce when she slowly turned back around to face him.

Tayce felt like she'd been punched in the stomach and swallowed hard, wondering how the hell he could know about what happened with Sami. "W-What are you talking about?" She stammered, cursing mentally for showing weakness toward Randy Orton of all people.

"Oh come now, Tayce baby." Randy's smirk turned into a full-blown smile as he took another drag from his cigarette, flicking ash off the tip. "I think we both know what I'm talking about, so cut the bullshit and answer my question."

"H-How do you-"

"How do I know what happened?" Randy cut her off, hearing how shaky her voice was and could feel her apprehension, loving every second of it. "That's really quite simple. You really should learn to pick better places to have private conversations with your friends. You never know who might be listening in, especially at the arenas." His blue eyes locked with horrified amber, an evil smirk taking over the smile on his face.

A flood of anger and embarrassment rushed through Tayce, her cheeks turning a deep crimson red to prove what she currently felt. "You son of a bitch!" She hissed, clenching her fists tightly at her sides and stared at him completely disgusted. "How dare you eavesdrop on my conversation with my friends! Who the hell do you think you are?"

Hopping off the equipment trunk, Randy flicked his cigarette away and stalked over to her, his intense dangerous eyes piercing her. "First off, you will treat me with respect. I deserve it after putting up with this fucking company for over 10 years, little girl. Secondly, I'll listen into whatever conversation I want. It's not my fault you were out in the open instead of in a more enclosed space. And third, who the hell I am is a veteran that's been here far longer than your precious boy, who I could snap in half in 2 seconds. And you and I both know it." He fingered a curl from her high ponytail, her hair resting over her shoulder currently.

"What the hell do you want from me, Randy?" She asked in a quieter voice, trying to keep the malice out of her tone and shuddered when his finger slid down her face gently. It took everything inside of her not to flinch away from him, the disgust only heightening. "Please tell me."

"That's better." Randy commended, his finger moving from her cheek down to her jaw, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm giving you an ultimatum, Tayce. You can rejoin me as my assistant and valet and your secret stays safe with me. Or I'll fill your boy in on just what a slut his soon-to-be wife is. Your choice."

Tayce's reacted instinctively and slapped the taste out of his mouth the same way she had Sami, only putting more force into this blow. "Go fuck yourself, Orton." She spat angrily and rushed past him back inside the arena, leaving him standing there with a burning handprint on his cheek.

Luckily, Tayce didn't run into anybody she knew and headed straight for the restroom, needing to calm down before she went back to the Shield locker room. That was the second time Randy had given her that offer and now he was trying to blackmail her with the infidelity. Wednesday couldn't come fast enough because they'd be back in Tampa and then she could finally come clean to Jon about everything. Tayce could only hope that Randy kept his mouth shut until then or else everything she had would go up in flames. After cooling off for 10 minutes and smoking a cigarette illegally in one of the stalls, Tayce finally made her way out of the bathroom toward the Shield locker room.

She never made it though.

"Tayce!" A stagehand named Mario jogged up to her, a timid smile on his face. "They need you near the interview spot for the segment. Randy and Stephen are waiting for you."

Great just great, Tayce thought miserably, thanking the stagehand and headed off in the direction toward Randy's locker room. After their encounter outside, this was the absolute last thing she wanted to do. Tayce could've strangled Stephanie McMahon-Levesque at that moment for putting her in a flirtatious angle with Randy Orton. She'd rather take a fire poker to his eyeballs, light his body on fire and piss on his ashes. But she also knew the show had to go on and all personal vendettas and feelings had to forgotten during the segments. This wasn't Tayce's first rodeo and it wouldn't be her last.

"Okay I'm here." Tayce asked, smiling at the relieved look on the camera man's face while Randy and Stephen conversed quietly in the corner.

"You know what's going to happen, right?" Randy asked, spotting Tayce out the corner of his eye and decided to keep their encounter away from Stephen. The less the Irish idiot knew, the better off he'd be. "It'll be a simple bump and apology type of thing."

"I know." Tayce replied in a clipped voice, smiling softly at Stephen and knew he'd be walking up to Randy to interrupt the moment between him and Tayce during the segment. "Let's do this."

The camera man nodded, pulling back to give Tayce plenty of room to do the segment with Randy. They would have to do it until this was right, knowing it would film right after the Shield's attack on John Cena later that night. Tayce took a deep breath, checking herself in the mirror provided one last time to make sure nothing was out of place. She was disappointed her handprint wasn't still blazing on Randy's face and wished she could do it again in this segment, taking a deep breath to slow her racing heartbeat. Tayce walked about 50 feet away from the camera down the hallway and waited for the cue to start walking, lowering her eyes to the floor. She was supposed to look deep in thought while walking, bump into Randy Orton and have her guard up since she was his enemy due to being involved with the Shield.

Tayce chewed her thumbnail acrylic nervously, getting fully into character, which wasn't far off from who she really was in person obviously. She didn't see someone turn the corner of the hallway that she passed by and collided with what felt like a brick wall, stumbling back a little. Thankfully, her steel toed boots had plenty of traction to them so she didn't land flat on her backside.

"Oh I'm so sor-" Randy stopped that last word from fully coming out of his mouth at the sight of the Shield's valet, Tayce, blue eyes slowly narrowing.

Tayce swallowed hard, instinctively backing away and felt her heart pounding a furious tattoo against her chest at the intensity in his blue depths. "W-Watch where you're going!" She stammered out, taking a step back when he took one forward as the camera zoomed in on their faces.

Randy raised an amused brow at her fiery attitude and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, the same one she had struck earlier outside. "My apologies, I didn't see you there…_Tayce_." Her name flowed from his mouth smoothly, a smile curving his mouth. "Such a beautiful name."

Noticing his voice had lowered an octave, Tayce wanted to sock him right in the face because she knew he did it on purpose, keeping her eyes slightly narrowed. "Thanks…" Her stomach twisted violently, hating that she had to act flirty with this scumbag and squared her shoulders. "I suppose we're both at fault since I wasn't watching where I was going, Randy."

"No harm done." Randy waved her off dismissively, watching her start to fiddle with the hair over her shoulder and reached out to take a strand like he did earlier outside, twirling it around his finger. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No…" It took everything inside of Tayce not to head butt him for touching her hair, forcing a hesitant smile. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Hey Randy, there ye are fella!" Stephen's voice rang through the air seconds later, breaking their eye contact. "Come on, ye gotta match to prepare for!"

Tayce immediately fled down the hallway away from them as soon Stephen spoke, not stopping until she was outside of the Shield's dressing room. Not bothering knocking, Tayce pushed the door open and immediately shut it behind her since nobody was in here, flipping the lock on it. She didn't trust Randy not to follow her since her running off ended the segment. Tayce didn't have to wait long because a knock sounded at the dressing room door 10 minutes later and she could hear Jon cussing through it. She immediately opened it, letting them inside and plastered on a smile to hide how uncomfortable she is regarding the segment.

"Why is the door locked?" Colby demanded, sounding somewhat irritable because Celeste hasn't left him alone about wedding plans.

"Habit." Tayce lied smoothly, heading straight for Jon and sighed when he just started doing pushups again.

He wasn't thrilled with the segment and must've seen it on the monitor, so Tayce decided to leave him alone for the time being. He had to focus on his own job and couldn't get distracted by what was going on between her and Randy on-screen. Walking over to sit in one of the steel folding chairs, Tayce took a water Colby handed her and thanked him, taking a few large gulps from it. The boys started preparing for their John Cena ambush and Tayce left them to do their thing, pulling out her crosswords puzzle book she brought with her to keep her occupied. Her train of thought did that enough lately though, almost to the point where she couldn't focus on doing a simple crossword.

Later that night when they arrived at the hotel, Tayce orders Jon to change in just his boxers so she could give him a massage. Jon doesn't complain or argue, doing what he's told and lays out on his stomach with his arms folded beneath his chin. He felt Tayce straddle his waist and groaned as her magical fingers began working his sore muscles, turning to pure putty in her hands. That's exactly what Tayce wanted, to relax him as much as possible and try to get his mind off of Randy Orton.

It worked for only a little while.

"I'm not fucking happy that you have to work with those douchebags, boss lady." Jon spoke up, voicing his opinion and closed his eyes at the sound of her heavy sigh above him. "I'm just telling you how I feel about it."

Tayce nodded in understanding and suddenly stopped the massage, knowing what she had to do. "Turn over on your back." She ordered, feeling him lift and roll to where she now straddled his waist, their eyes locked. "You are the only man I ever want, Jonathan Good. I love you and only you, nothing will ever change that, no matter what happens. I want to marry you. I want to stick beside you. Not Randy Orton or anyone else on this planet. I am yours forever or for as long as you want me. Do you understand?"

Jon smirked, unable to resist baiting her. "Then prove it to me." He brought his face down to hers, their mouths crashing together and proceeded to make love to each other the rest of the night.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Tayce couldn't do it.

Their days off in Tampa flew by in the blink of an eye. There were so many times Tayce wanted to tell Jon about what happened with Sami, but every time she looked into his beautiful blue eyes, she couldn't. The words would not surface. Randy knew the truth because of his eavesdropping and now had blackmail against her. Tayce knew she was making things worse by not telling Jon what happened, destroying his trust for her with every minute that ticked by. Before she knew it, they were back on the road and heading to the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia for Monday Night Raw. As if Tayce didn't have enough on her plate, she also had another segment to get through with Randy Orton. WrestleMania couldn't come soon enough.

"You haven't told him yet, have you?" Sophie asked quietly, standing outside with Tayce while she had a quick smoke before her segment with Randy Orton.

Tayce swallowed hard, shaking her head. "Soph, I tried so many times, you have no idea. Every time I started to, Jon stopped me and we ended up having sex." She felt horrible, taking a long drag from her cigarette and raked a hand through her hair, frustration clear in her expression. "How can I hurt the man I love? How can I shatter him like that? Maybe this is better left buried…"

"Do you really think that's wise, Tayce? What happens if Sami tells him? That would be catastrophic and you know it. He has the leverage right now and he can use it if he wants." Sophie pointed out, watching her friend continue to pace back and forth in front of her. "You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. I've always been taught that honesty is really the best policy, no matter how harsh it is."

"I know, I know…" Tayce grumbled, still in her street clothes along with Sophie while the guys headed inside to find out what they were doing tonight for the show. "Fuck. I have to tell him tonight. It has to be done. I don't want to do it, but he has the right to know. And if I lose him, I have nobody else to blame."

"I honestly don't think Jon will leave you over this, especially since Sami was the one who liquored you up and took advantage of your vulnerability." Sophie said reasonably, wrapping an arm around Tayce's shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "I'm here for you, just remember that."

"So am I."

Both Tayce and Sophie turned to stare at a sheepish Celeste, their eyebrows cocked in question. "Why the change of heart?" Tayce had to ask, folding her arms in front of her chest simultaneously with Sophie.

"I thought it over and realized that not all of this is your fault. You were heavily intoxicated and taken advantage of, just like Sophie said." Celeste had eavesdropped, lowering her hazel eyes to the ground. "I don't want to lose my friends. I'm on your side and I didn't tell Colby or anyone."

Tayce didn't move an inch toward Celeste and neither did Sophie, both of them finally looking at each other. "What do you think, Soph? Wanna give her another chance?" She asked nonchalantly, both of them tapping their chins in thought.

3 seconds later, Celeste squealed out as she was clobbered with tight hugs from both Sophie and Tayce, the women sharing a moment. Tayce couldn't stay mad at Celeste and knew the woman had every right to be angry with her for what she did to Jon. Hell, she was still shocked Sophie hadn't knocked her out, but real friends stuck beside each other through good and bad times. Obviously, Celeste had a momentary relapse in judgment and had come to her senses.

"I'm not mad at you, Celeste." Tayce said softly, assuring the sniffling two-toned haired woman and kissed the top of her head. "And I am going to tell Jon. I just need a little more time to figure things out."

"Tayce…"

"I swear, by the end of this week he will know the truth. I'm vowing it to both of you right here and now." She promised, hoping Sophie just gave her a few more days until she was back home alone with Jon again.

"He'll forgive you." Celeste said confidently, cracking a small smile. "He loves you too much to walk away because of something his idiotic best friend did. Granted, I know it was consensual and all that, but you didn't remember what exactly happened until you woke up the next day. He took advantage of you, period. Jon will see that."

Tayce could only hope both of her friends were right and headed back inside the arena to prepare for her segment with Randy Orton. Wardrobe had finally finished her tactical vest that fit her like a second skin, but she wore a black camisole beneath just to be on the safe side. Slipping into her black cargo pants, Tayce tucked the material in her leather knee-high steel toed boots, the material bunched up around her knees. Her hair was down and loosely curled for style, though it still went past the middle of her back. Her makeup was the same as always, though she changed clear gloss for a cherry that gave her lips just the slightest crimson touch. It wasn't vibrant, just gave her lips a little more color than usual.

The segment would be inside of catering, which was temporarily closed off until it happened. Tayce walked inside as the cameras began rolling to grab a cup of coffee and immediately felt a presence behind her. She didn't have to turn around to see who it was, the tension so thick in the air it couldn't be cut with a knife. Stirring her coffee with the small plastic stick, Tayce tossed it in the trashcan and felt sick when his nose gently buried in her hair. She immediately turned around, purposely sloshing her coffee and splashed his bare chest with some of it, amber eyes growing wide. They had free reign over the segments as long as it got the point across that Randy Orton was slowly pursuing the Shield's valet.

Randy didn't appreciate that stunt and knew she did it on purpose, but merely smiled, plucking a napkin off the table. His arm purposely brushed against hers in the process, feeling her shiver and knew it wasn't from desire. He could feel the nervousness leaking from every pore of her body and enjoyed it, blue eyes turning pure ice. What annoyed him was the fact she didn't bother apologizing and ended the segment sooner than he would've liked, the cameras stopping moments after she exited the cafeteria. Immediately rushing after her, Randy slapped the coffee out of her hand and smiled at the camera crew, watching them head off in the opposite direction down the hallway to do another segment for the show.

"Stupid bitch." Randy growled, shoving Tayce none too gently back into catering, the coffee on his chest still stinging somewhat. "You think that was funny, huh?"

Tayce squared her shoulders, shrugging nonchalantly. "I figured I could add a little bit of spice to the segment." She said simply, not noticing the danger coursing through Randy's eyes.

Snorting, Randy slowly took a step toward her only for Tayce to back up, not stopping until her back hit the wall on the other side of catering. "Do I have to remind you who the fuck I am in this company, little girl?" He demanded in a low voice, gripping her upper arm in a tight vise that would surely leave a bruise.

"I could care less who you are. You're nothing in my eyes and nothing will ever change that. Now let go of my arm." Tayce ordered, trying to yank it free and bit back a cry of pain when he squeezed it tighter. "Randy, you're hurting me…"

"Good, I want you to feel the same pain you caused me when you decided to splash me with scalding hot coffee." Randy growled, wrenching her arm up a little and immediately released her when a wad of spit landed right in his eye. "You fucking bitch!"

Tayce cried out this time and crumpled to the cafeteria floor in a heap, holding her throbbing face where Randy backhanded her. She glared up at him, tears shining in her amber eyes and felt as though the whole side of her face was on fire, the pain evident. Randy slowly squatted down in front of her, taking a strand of her golden auburn hair and twirled it around his finger until he forcefully yanked her forward, their noses practically touching.

"Maybe next time you'll be a good little bitch and play nice." Releasing her laughing manically, Randy stood up and brushed his fingers down his toned body, icy eyes never leaving her. "By the way, have you come clean about your whorish ways to the rookie yet? Or are you having second thoughts about being in his corner?"

"Fuck you." Tayce spat out, pushing herself to stand up against the wall and flinched when Randy brought his hand up again to strike her, only to stop when a voice sounded behind them.

"Randy fella, what's going on here?" It was Stephen, his current tag team partner and Tayce's momentary saving grace.

Randy gritted his teeth and took a deep breath, slowly turning around to face Stephen with an easy smile. "Nothing, just talking. I think we're done here, Tayce. Come on man, we have matches to prepare for." He lead Stephen out of catering so the man couldn't question why Tayce held her face and had tears in her eyes. The less he knew, the better.

Tayce didn't waste a millisecond and hightailed it out of catering, heading straight for the Shield locker room. What the hell was she going to do? Randy still held her infidelity to Jon over her head and had physically harmed her with no witnesses. There was no way the bosses would believe her either. Tayce felt tears slide down her cheeks the closer she came to the Shield locker room, not stopping until she arrived outside the door. Not wasting a second, Tayce pushed it open and watched as all 3 heads snapped up to look at her, not bothering to hide the rapidly appearing bruise on her face.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Jon exploded, rushing over to his sobbing fiancée and could feel every part of his body igniting with fury, gritting his teeth. "What the fuck happened to you, Tayce?"

"Jon, calm down." Joe ordered, blinking when Jon shoved him away from Tayce and could tell Jon was about to have a complete meltdown. "Tayce, who did this to you, sweetheart?"

Tayce couldn't take it anymore and buried her face in Jon's chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist since he was still shirtless. Jon swallowed hard, feeling his heart break at the heart wrenching sobs flowing from her. He began shaking from head to toe while holding her tightly, his fingers burying in her loose soft curls, wanting to rip apart whoever hurt his beautiful fiancée. They would NOT get away with it, not if Jon had anything to say about it and he didn't give a flying leap what the bosses said or thought! Someone had struck her, put their hands on her in a violent way and whoever did it was living on borrowed time.

"Tayce, look at me." Jon ordered in a low rasp, prying her arms from around his waist and watched as those bloodshot swollen amber eyes looked up at him. "Who did this to you, baby? Talk to me."

"Colby, go get the trainer and tell him it's an emergency."

Joe already knew as soon as Tayce said the name of whoever harmed her came out, he would have to act fast with Jon. The man had a volatile temper, especially when provoked and it came to people closest to him being hurt. Colby nodded, flying out the door to do as Joe said and felt sick because the whole left side of Tayce's face had turned an ugly bluish purple. Not moving from his spot, Joe simply waited while Tayce gained her bearings and closed his eyes as soon as the name came out of her mouth.

"Randy Orton." She whispered, gasping when Jon shoved her back gently but firmly, giving her a small jolting shake in the process. "Jon…"

"That mother fucker is DEAD!" Jon roared, picking up the nearest object closest to him and hurled it across the room, watching it crash against the wall with a sickening thud. "FUCKING DEAD!"

In the 10 years she'd been on the road with Jon pursuing his wrestling dream, Tayce had never seen him this angry and swallowed hard, actually backing up when another chair went flying. Joe immediately acted and wrapped his arms tightly around Jon, locking the man's arms at his sides. Jon shouted and screamed profanities at his friend, struggling with all the strength he had in his body, but Joe was stronger than him. Tayce cried harder, following them into the bathroom and watched as Joe bodily lifted Jon up over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, turning to stare at her.

"Turn it on now." He ordered gruffly, nudging his head toward the shower sprays and grunted when Jon tried escaping from the current position Joe held him.

"YOU FUCKING DICK!" Jon bellowed at the top of his lungs and felt his body crash to the shower floor seconds later, the ice cold shower sprays dousing him from head to toe. "GODDAMN IT!"

Tayce couldn't leave Jon like this and started walking toward the shower stall, but Joe stopped her. "I don't think that's wise right now." He cautioned softly, grey eyes full of concern. "You need to be checked out by the trainer. Colby went to go get him."

"No." Tayce shook her head, pulling away from Joe and didn't listen. "I'm not leaving him in there alone."

She didn't bother peeling off her clothes and stepped into the shower, ignoring the freezing shower sprays as she straddled Jon's lap. Jon tried pushing her away at first, growling more profanities, but Tayce refused to let him push her away from him. Burying her face in the crook of his neck, Tayce wrapped her arms tightly around his upper body under his arms, closing her eyes as the ice cold water soaked her from head to toe along with him. It took a while, but the combination of Tayce pressed against him and her fingers gliding through his hair had been enough to simmer Jon's boiling blood temporarily. Tayce couldn't move, frozen from head to toe or so it felt like and closed her eyes as Jon stood up with her in his arms, her ankles locking around his waist. Sophie had brought in some dry clothes for them to change into, which was another cut off Shield top since Tayce had completely ruined her tactical vest.

"You know I'm going to kill him, right?" Jon asked while they dressed, his voice low and firm, the anger still evident as he yanked a dry pair of cargo pants on.

Tayce sighed heavily, nodding. "Save it for the ring. I'm not going out there with you tonight. I want to get checked out and make sure my cheekbone isn't cracked. Then we can head back to the hotel and try to relax." She finished dressing and stepped up to him, feeling his hands cup her face very tenderly so he didn't hurt her.

"When we get back to the hotel tonight, I want to talk about the wedding." He stated, knowing they'd put it off far too long and it was time to start making arrangements.

Under normal circumstances, Tayce would've been thrilled to hear that come out of Jon's mouth, but since she still had the confession regarding sleeping with Sami to make and had been harmed by Randy Orton, now wasn't the time. "No." She pressed a finger to his lips, amber eyes pleading. "I want you to focus on WrestleMania coming up. That's all that needs to be on your mind right now. Once WrestleMania passes and the pressure is off, THEN we'll start planning our wedding." Tayce carefully kissed him since the whole left side of her face currently throbbed, though the ice cold water had helped numb it some.

Jon had no choice except to agree with her and walked out to go do his segment with Joe and Colby while the trainer, Larry, looked over her to make sure nothing was damaged.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Hey, home is just a little over 3 and a half hours away from here." Jon said, walking through the airport terminal with Tayce, both of their bags in hand. "How about after the show tonight, if we're not too tired, we drive home and sleep in our own bed?"

Tayce smiled, feeling his arm wrap around her waist and his nose bury in her neck. "That's fine with me. Are you sure you can handle being in a car for that long?" She knew Jon wasn't good with driving and even worse with flying, preferring to have both of his feet on the ground so to speak. In the profession he chose to do for the rest of his life, however, that wasn't an option. "I'll do whatever you want, Mox, you know that."

"Yeah, but I'll still ask you what you want to do." Jon argued softly, heading to their rental car and tossed their bags in the backseat since it was just them.

He slid behind the wheel, immediately lighting up a cigarette and took a drag, handing it over to Tayce so he could pull out onto the busy street. For some odd reason, Sophie had asked Joe to head straight to Jacksonville from Atlanta the previous night after Raw ended. Colby and Celeste went as well. Normally, they all traveled together and Jon wondered why they were suddenly being alienated from the group. Of course Tayce knew the reasoning behind it and made a mental note to thank both Sophie and Celeste later that night at the show.

"Do you think Joe and Colby don't wanna hang out with us anymore?" If there was one person on the planet Jon could talk to about anything, it was Tayce. "This isn't the first time they've ditched us and went to the next city."

Tayce frowned, hating how insecure Jon sounded because he honestly thought of Joe and Colby as brothers, his family. "No, I just think since we're engaged and recently got together they're trying to give us as much time as they can alone." She lied smoothly, handing the cigarette back to Jon so he could puff on it while driving to the hotel.

"You sure about that?" Jon quirked a brow, eyes telling her he didn't buy that explanation for a second.

"Yes, now stop worrying Mox. Everything will be fine." Soon, he wouldn't have to feel this way because Tayce planned on coming clean about Sami as soon as they went home for their 2 days off. "They love you as much as I do, you should know that. You're their brother just as they're yours. End of story."

"If you say so, boss lady." Jon mumbled, turning the radio on a classic rock station and smirked as AC/DC flowed through the speakers.

The rest of the drive to the hotel was made in silence, each in their own thoughts about different things. Jon was worried he was losing his closest friends while Tayce fretted over the pending explosion from Jon as soon as she told him she slept with Sami. This was going to be bad, very bad. They slipped out of the car and headed inside to check in, arriving in the hotel suite they shared with Joe, Colby, Sophie and Celeste a few minutes later. Jon contemplated getting their own room, but Tayce convinced him otherwise.

"They're not here. Sophie just texted me and said they were working out in the gym if you want to join them." Tayce brushed her lips against his and unlocked the door, stepping inside with Jon, his mouth instantly finding hers.

"I'd much rather have a workout with you." He mumbled against her mouth, pressing her back against the door and lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist. "We have a few hours until we have to be at the arena…"

Knowing this might be one of the last times she had sex with Jon and saw the longing for her in his eyes, Tayce couldn't turn down the offer. "Fuck me, Jon." She pleaded in his ear while his mouth assaulted her neck, tilting her head back just as he pulled her away from the door.

Jon was not about to let her down and headed to the last room that was near the door, kicking the door closed behind him. He undressed in front of her, taking his time since he enjoyed Tayce devouring him visually with her molten gold eyes. Tayce licked her lips and slid out of bed just as Jon came for her, shoving him down to sit, shaking her finger. If he was going to tease her, she would definitely repay the favor. As soon as they were both naked, Jon pulled Tayce down on the bed and proceeded to give her what they both wanted, every other thought flying out the window.

2 hours later, Tayce stared at the ceiling and laid in bed completely naked, relishing the delicious ache between her thighs. Jon had gone out to get something to eat since he was beyond starving and, truth be told, so was she. They made love for an hour and then laid in bed cuddling, talking softly to one another. It was so nice hearing the sound of his heartbeat beneath her ear while his fingers ran through her hair, his lips caressing her forehead every few minutes. Tayce hated the fact she felt this good after having sex with her fiancé because of her secret. She couldn't help it though, Jon was amazing in every way and made her happy, even when it felt as though the guilt would crush her at times.

Her cell phone blared on the nightstand, snapping Tayce out of her deep thoughts as she sat up and drew the blanket up to cover her chest. It didn't matter that she was still completely alone in the suite, she didn't like showing her body off at all. The smile vanished from her face as soon as Tayce saw the name **SAMI **flashing neon on her caller ID. What the hell did he want? She contemplated not answering it, but also didn't want him blowing her phone up with Jon around. Whatever he wanted had to be said right now while she was completely alone.

"What do you want, Sami? I thought I told you I never wanted to talk to you again." She said by way of greeting, tightening the blanket against her a little more.

Sami heaved a sigh of relief, thankful Tayce had answered the phone because he honestly didn't expect her to. "I know you're angry and you have every reason to be." He sounded broken and it made Tayce's heart clench in her chest tightly.

"You damn right I do." Tayce tried lacing malice in her voice and failed miserably, tears filling her eyes. "I know what happened between us was consensual, but you took advantage of me after intoxicating me heavily. That was your plan wasn't it?" She didn't bother making it sound like a question because it was the truth. "You thought sleeping with me again one last time would change my mind and make me choose you over Jon. Guess what, it didn't work, Johnston."

Sami cringed at the hurt tone of her voice and lowered his head in shame, closing his eyes. "I know I wronged you, Tayce. I know I betrayed your trust and you'll never forgive me for it. I don't fucking blame you." He stood up from the bed to light a cigarette, staring out the window. "And I'm not bothering giving you an apology because I know you won't believe it anyway. There is a reason I called."

"Make it quick, I have a show to prepare for." Tayce snapped, standing from the bed and headed into the bathroom, leaving the sheet behind.

Sami always did love her spitfire attitude and couldn't help smirking, knowing deep down she still thought of him a friend or else she would've hung up on him already. "Did you tell Jon?" That was his first question. "I'm assuming not since you two are still bumping uglies."

"Classy, Sami, really." Tayce muttered, rolling her eyes and started pulling the makeup out she would wear for Smackdown! that night. "No, I haven't told him yet. I'm telling him tomorrow when we're home. I refuse to hurt and embarrass him in front of his coworkers. Why do you care anyway?"

Relief flooded throughout Sami's body and he couldn't help silently thanking the stars above Tayce hadn't told Jon about what he did. "Don't do it. Don't tell him." He didn't mean to make it sound like an order, but it came out that way. "You love him, he loves you and we've all been best friends since childhood. I understand you'll never be mine. I'm accepting it this time around and that's why I'm telling you to take this to grave with me. Jon doesn't need to be hurt more than he already has been in his life, Tayce, you and I both know that. This will send him over the edge."

Tayce shut the water off, citrine eyes widening and felt her legs turn to jelly, sinking down to the bathroom floor on her knees. "What do you mean don't tell him? Sami, I can't keep something like this from him, not when we're getting married! Have you completely lost your mind? What the hell is your game?" Her body began trembling violently and Tayce couldn't stop the hot tears from sliding down her cheeks.

"There is no game, Tayce, not anymore." Sami assured her softly, hating that he was the cause of her tears and felt his heart drop to the pits of his stomach. "I don't want to hurt Jon and I know you don't either. So just keep it between us and forget it ever happened. Please. I still want to be his Best Man at your wedding."

"I-I can't deal with this right now." She whispered, tearing a hand through her hair and knew Jon would be back any second. "I have to go. I'll think about it and let you know."

Ending the call before Sami could say another word, Tayce tossed the phone out of the bathroom door while she remained knelt on the floor. How could she answer the phone and talk to Sami after what he did to her? Tayce was seriously messed up in the head and cried harder, wrapping her arms around herself. No! She couldn't do this, not with Jon possibly on his way back to the hotel! Quickly pulling herself together somehow, Tayce decided to go work her frustrations out in the hotel gym. She knew Sophie would be there and had to talk to her because now Sami had given her second thoughts about telling Jon their secret. Changing into a pair of black cotton shorts and a black spaghetti strapped tank top, Tayce tossed her hair up on top of her head in a messy bun, taking off out of the hotel suite.

"Tayce!" Sophie called out as soon as she spotted her best friend walk through the door of the hotel gym, waving her over to the treadmill she currently ran on. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you." Tayce sounded out of breath from how fast she ran down here, taking a long swig of her water bottle to try to calm her racing heart. "It's about you-know-what."

Joe and Colby were busy spotting each other on the other side of the hotel gym away from the treadmills while Celeste did squats, so they were alone. "What happened?" Sophie demanded, stepping off the treadmill and wiped the sweat from her forehead, draping it over her neck.

Tayce chewed her thumbnail nervously and leaned against one of the machines, keeping her voice low. "Sami called me a few minutes ago. I don't know why I answered, but I did and…he doesn't want me to tell Jon. He doesn't want to destroy Jon and said that this will send him over the edge. What if he's right, Soph? What if this completely destroys Jon? What if it's better to leave it as a secret and bury it?" Then she had a thought and felt her stomach twist violently. "Shit."

"What?" Sophie disagreed wholeheartedly with Tayce and took both of her hands, forcing their eyes to meet. "What is it?"

"I didn't tell you…" Tayce knew she wasn't making sense and took a deep breath, explaining what happened with Randy Orton. How he eavesdropped while spilling her guts to her two closest friends. "And now he's threatening to tell Jon if I don't…If I don't stand by him instead."

Sophie scowled darkly, not believing the audacity of Randy Orton and gritted her teeth angrily, immediately pointing to the exit. "Get your ass upstairs to that suite right now and tell Jon EVERYTHING. For all you know, Orton has already struck and it might be too late. If you don't tell Jon and he finds out from someone else, especially that asshole, you'll never salvage your relationship. Get going right now. It's time to tell him before things get worse, Tayce." Lord have mercy, this woman was going to KILL her keeping all these secrets!

"But…"

"NOW!" Sophie barked, shoving Tayce harshly toward the exit door and fire lit up her blue eyes when the woman hesitated. "GO!"

Sophie was right. Enough was enough. It was time to stop running and face the music. Whatever happened, Tayce knew she deserved it, the thought of losing Jon forever making her incredibly nauseous. Swallowing hard, she walked out of the hotel gym toward the stairs and slowly began ascending them, each step becoming harder than the last. She'd left a note for Jon letting him know where she'd gone, so he was more than likely back at the suite eating at the moment. His appetite was about to completely vanish after what Tayce had to say to him. What Sophie said suddenly pierced her mind about Randy already telling Jon and Tayce picked up the pace, running up the stairs as fast as she could.

She never made it.

Tayce had made the mistake of taking the backstairs since she hated waiting for elevators and ran into the last person she wanted to see. She'd been flying up the steps, arriving at the third floor and pushed the door to walk through, only to plow into Randy Orton. Tayce stumbled back from the velocity back into the stairwell and held her head, trying to get her equilibrium back on track.

"Well – well, what do we have here?" Randy crooned, dusting himself off even though it felt like a feather just brushed against his chest.

"Leave me alone, Orton. I don't have time for you right now." Tayce growled, breathing heavily from how fast she'd jogged up the stairs and instinctively backed away when Randy turned fully to face her.

"I think you can make a LITTLE bit of time for me, Tayce, considering I've been good and haven't spilled your dirty secret to the rookie." Randy stated, all the while trapping her in the corner farthest away from the door, both hands splayed on either side of her face. "I think I deserve a little reward for being good, don't you?"

"What are you-?"

Tayce was cut off effectively as Randy's lips crushed down on top of hers, shock filling every part of her body. It took her a few seconds to realize what just happened and snap back to reality, trying to shove him away from her. Randy was much stronger than her though and his arm snaked around her waist, pressing her chest against his as his tongue demanded her mouth to open for him. Whimpering, Tayce tried fighting him off as hard as she could, refusing to open her mouth and felt his fingers bury in her hair, torqueing her head back painfully, the brutal kiss never breaking.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

Hearing Jon's roaring voice, Tayce gained a newfound strength she didn't know she possessed and shoved Randy away, almost making him topple down the stairs. Randy caught himself though, a sick smirk curving his lips. Jon immediately stalked past Tayce and threw a lethal punch, clocking Randy in the nose and heard the bones snap beneath his fist, his body toppling down the stairs in multiple somersaults. Tayce opened her mouth to give Randy a tongue lashing and watched as Jon stormed out the door toward the suite, immediately going after him. If he believed for a second she kissed Randy Orton WILLINGLY, he had lost his mind!


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"Jon wait, please!" Tayce barely made it through the door before it slammed shut on her, tears filling her eyes. "I-I didn't kiss him!"

"Didn't look that way to me." Jon growled, rage filling every part of his body as he began pacing back and forth, trembling violently.

He was irate. Tayce had never seen him this angry in her life and they'd known each other a long time. "Jon, you have to believe me…" She jumped when he cut her off, his voice nothing more than vicious yelling.

"WHY SHOULD I? YOU WERE KISSING HIM BACK! I SAW IT WITH MY OWN FUCKING EYES! I'M NOT FUCKING BLIND, TAYCE!" Jon erupted, suddenly swiping the food he'd went out to buy them crashing to the floor in a mess. "MOTHER FUCKER!"

"Jon…"

"SHUT UP!" He ordered in a roar, anger overtaking every other rational part of his brain. "SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH! IT'S MY TURN TO TALK NOW!"

Jon had never said such harsh words to Tayce in all the years they knew each other, but he couldn't get the image of Randy Orton kissing her out his head. They looked pretty cozy and that just pissed Jon off more, tempted to go back to that stairwell to finish the job. He wanted to maim Randy Orton for putting his hands on HIS fiancée, the woman he agreed to marry. And it had all been for nothing, a lie. Pulling a cigarette out from the smokes in his back pocket, Jon lit it up right in the suite, not caring who he currently shared with and began puffing on it like it was his lifeline. In a way, it was.

"I-I KNEW something was going on with you, but I couldn't put my fucking finger on it." He cursed mentally at the slight stutter, his voice shaky as he tried stemming some of the rage within his body. It wasn't working. "I fucking knew something was going on, but never did I think my best friend, of all people, would betray me this way. Never. You didn't mean any of it, did you?"

Blinking, Tayce felt fresh tears cascade down her face and stumbled back when Jon came toward her, feeling like her heart would burst out of her chest at any given moment. "W-What do you mean?" She stammered, her own voice unstable while her insides quaked with pure fear. "Jon…"

"Don't fucking say my name." He ordered, pacing a hole in the floor and blew smoke out of his nostrils harshly, feeling his jaw tightening with each passing second. "What do I mean? I mean you didn't fucking mean a word you said to me that night I took you away from Orton. When you THOUGHT you'd valet for them instead of me, stand in their corner instead of mine! I wasn't having any of it! I should've left you alone since you obviously have feelings for that sack of dog shit!"

"I DO NOT!" Tayce shouted, defending herself and tried walking toward Jon again, but it was no use. "Jon please…"

Jon wasn't listening though, not anymore, not after what he witnessed. The signs had been in front of him the entire time and he was too blind to see them. "You never loved me, Tayce." He stopped pacing and stood in front of her, misty electric blues boring holes through her as hatred slowly began filling them. "You never wanted to marry me. You just wanted to lock me down and take me for every fucking dime I'm worth! I was fucking stupid to believe your bullshit that night. I gave into everything you said and it was all a LIE! YOU LIED TO ME!"

"That's not true!" Tayce reached out for him and cried out when he grabbed her wrist, twisting it until it wrenched behind her back, anger seeping out of every pore into her skin since their chests were pressed together. "Jon, you're hurting me…" She whimpered, closing her eyes when he tightened his hold on her more.

He wanted her to hurt as much as she hurt him. Jon wanted Tayce to feel what it was like to have her heart ripped out of her chest and crushed into dust. That's exactly how he felt the moment he walked into the stairwell and saw Randy's nasty mouth on hers. The door opened seconds later and Jon didn't release his hold on Tayce, his eyes telling her he meant every word that came out of his mouth.

"Jon, what the hell are you doing?!" Sophie shouted, storming toward him and felt Joe pull her back, her blues widening. "He's hurting her!"

"I know and I'll be damned if he hurts you next. Stay back, Sophie." Joe ordered in a low voice, pushing her to stand behind him and slowly made his way over to Jon and Tayce, hands up to show he didn't mean any harm. "Jon, you're hurting her, brother. Why don't you let her go and step back?"

"Why don't you mind your own fucking business, Anoa'i? This doesn't fucking concern you, your wife or anyone else." Jon spat viciously, keeping his eyes locked on Tayce and could feel her trembling against him, not caring at the moment. She was smart to be terrified of him because Jon could've snapped her arm in half if he wanted to. "Touch me and I'll make you regret it. Step the fuck off now."

Joe swallowed hard, hearing the amount of anger in Jon's voice and immediately did it, not wanting Tayce to get hurt. "Jon, this is Tayce, man. Do you realize you're hurting your fiancée, the woman you love?" He cringed when those electric ice blues snapped up to lock with bewildered grey, his blood instantly running cold.

"I think you're referring to the lying, cheating whore standing before me who can't keep her legs closed to save her fucking life." Jon growled, correcting Joe and raised a brow when Sophie and Celeste covered their open mouths with their hands. "A woman I USED to love and thought I knew, who I thought I wanted to marry. Not anymore. NO MORE!"

"And just how long have you felt that way, Good?" Tayce demanded, finally speaking and ignored the pain zipping up her arm, gritting her teeth. "I bet the whole fucking time huh? You never wanted to marry me or else you would've dropped your balls and asked me YOURSELF! You never loved me! Sami was right about everything wasn't he? WASN'T HE?"

It was her turn to get pissed off. Tayce began struggling against him and hauled off, a harsh smack echoing throughout the suite as Tayce's free hand slapped him as hard as she could. Shocked, Jon stumbled back from the blow and released her instantly, holding his now burning cheek. Joe immediately pulled Tayce to stand behind him when Jon charged at her, fury erupted in those electric dangerous blues. But Tayce didn't want to be saved or protected, shoving past Joe to stand in front of Jon again, not afraid of him anymore.

"What the fuck does Sami have to do with this?" Jon demanded, noticing Tayce wasn't backing down from him and somehow managed to stop himself from strangling her. "What do you mean he was right about everything? RIGHT ABOUT WHAT?"

"Oh man…" Sophie groaned in a mutter, closing her eyes and lowered her head because it was obvious Jon was about to find out Tayce's secret regarding Sami.

"He warned me. He told me you didn't care about me or love me. You were just saying yes to everything I wanted because you didn't want to hurt me more than you already have!" Tayce shouted, building a full head of steam and suddenly shoved Jon's chest as hard as she could, tears pouring from her eyes like two rapid rivers. "YOU NEVER LOVED ME! YOU NEVER WANTED TO MARRY ME! YOU JUST AGREED TO IT SO I'D STAY BY YOUR SIDE LIKE A DAMN DOG! LIKE I ALWAYS HAVE! BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT, YOU ROTTEN SON OF A BITCH, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE! BUT I KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU, I KNOW WHAT I WANT AND NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE IT! I HATE YOU FOR MAKING ME FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU!"

"OH YEAH?" Jon wasn't thinking rationally anymore and grabbed her by her upper arms, yanking her flush against his rock hard body as their noses pressed together. "That's not what I heard earlier today while we were fucking! That's not what I heard when I made you cum until you went dizzy and begged me to take pity on your ass!"

"That's also the same thing I said when I let Sami fuck me a few weeks ago in Tampa."

The air left the room as soon as those words left Tayce's mouth and she saw the raw pain flash in Jon's eyes, his hands instantly releasing her. She stumbled back, folding her arms in front of her chest and couldn't believe how low her voice was. It was full of malice, hurt and hatred, every part of her feeling very vindictive after all the awful things Jon said to her. Tayce couldn't help it, suddenly having diarrhea of the mouth and watched Jon sink to his knees, burying his fingers in his hair.

"What's the matter, Moxley?" Tayce almost crooned, knowing she had completely broken him to pieces with her confession and planted her hands on her hips. "Cat got your tongue now, doesn't it? You wanna know what's been bothering me for the past couple weeks? You really want to know that badly? Here it is: While you were away at that signing and I had to go back to Tampa by myself, I ran into Sami at the mall. He invited me back to his new apartment, we had dinner and fucked. And I enjoyed every…single…second of it. I wasn't screaming your name that night, it was his." She half-lied through her teeth, but made it sound so convincing that everyone in the room actually believed her, gasps from both Sophie and Celeste resonating off the walls.

"Tayce…"

"Stay out of this, Sophie." She ordered gravely, not caring what her friend had to say because everything had finally come to a head. "I was going to tell you tomorrow when we went home to our apartment that's been a mockery of our entire relationship since you suggested living together. But now that you think I'm a whore, I can safely assume we won't be sharing anything anymore. So here you go." She slid the citrine ring off her left ring finger and dropped it in front of him on the carpeted floor, her tears dried up for the moment.

"Get out…" Jon croaked out, the pain too much for him to take as he clutched his midsection, doubled over and felt a surge of rage course through him. He was back on his feet instantly, in her face and wrapped his hand around her throat, but didn't squeeze. "Get the fuck out. Our relationship, friendship and ANYTHING else we had together is OVER. You can go suck Orton and Sami's dick for all I care. I'm done with Sami too, make sure you relay the message to him." Shoving her back to where she collided with the back of the couch, Jon stalked out of the hotel suite, stopping just before going out the now open door. "When I come back here, she BETTER be fucking gone or I won't be responsible for what happens."

Sophie cringed as the door slammed shut so hard the hinges nearly broke off, immediately turning perplexed wide blue eyes on a heavy breathing Tayce. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? YOU JUST LIED TO HIS FACE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED!" She screamed, tossing her hands up in the air and felt tears flood down her cheeks.

Tayce couldn't deal with this right now and stormed into the room to gather her belongings, knowing all of this was her fault. Every single thing that happened that lead up to this blowup and breakup she was responsible for. She could hear Sophie crying on Joe in the sitting room, explaining to him what really happened to Tayce, but she didn't care. It was over. Jon had made it perfectly clear he didn't trust her nor did he want to see the truth. Randy kissed her, not the other way around and he'd been too strong for her to overpower. Sami had intoxicated her to the point where Tayce had no idea where she was or what she was doing until the next day because of flashbacks. But he would never believe anything she said, not anymore. Zipping up her bag, Tayce didn't bother saying goodbye to anyone in the room and stormed out of the suite, heading to the airport completely heartbroken. She whipped her phone out and called the only person who she knew wouldn't judge her, waiting for the voice to come through the speaker.

"Hello?"

"Momma, I'm coming home."

After doing Smackdown! later that night, Jon had gotten rip-roaring drunk and somehow made the 3 and a half hour drive to Tampa from Jacksonville. His anger had fueled his sobriety, which pissed Jon off because he wanted to drink until he felt numb from Tayce's betrayal. From the pain the woman he thought loved him unconditionally caused. There was one person he had to pay a special visit to and figured there was no time like the present since Jon had 2 days off to binge drink. It wasn't hard to get the address, especially after he asked Stephanie very kindly earlier at the arena. Stephanie handed it over without a fuss and Jon thanked her, taking off before Smackdown! had finished. He didn't tell Joe and Colby where he was going, leaving them behind with their faithful loving women.

Sami looked up from the game he currently played on the PS3, wondering who was at his front door at nearly 1 AM in the morning. As soon as he opened the door, a fist plowed into his face and Sami flew in the air, landing on his back with a sickening thud. He cursed violently, blood spurting out of his nose and looked up through slightly blurred vision at the sight of an irate Jonathan Good standing over him. Oh shit, he thought, knowing Tayce must've spilled the beans about their night together all those weeks ago.

"Get up, you piece of a shit." Jon growled menacingly, wanting to kick Sami's ass the old-fashioned way and flared his nostrils when Sami obeyed.

"J-Jon, you gotta calm down, man…" Sami tried dissuading him and grunted when a fist plowed into his stomach, making him double over instantly.

"Did you enjoy Tayce's pussy?" He kneed Sami in the face, making the man fall back with another curse of pain and stomped on his stomach again, not softening any of the blows. "DID YOU ENJOY TAKING HER, YOU COCKSUCKER?"

"J-Jon…"

"FUCK YOU!" He went to stomp on Sami again, only for him to roll out of the way, but that didn't stop Jon from continuing the assault. "SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO FUCK SOMEONE'S HAPPINESS UP! I'LL END YOUR WWE CAREER BEFORE IT STARTS!"

Another punch to Sami's face, this time in his eye and then his lower abdomen again caused the smaller man to slump against him, blood pouring out of his mouth and nose. The beating commenced for an hour straight, but Jon made sure not to beat Sami too hard to where he passed out from the pain. Sami could take beatings, he proved that in the matches they had together in CZW. Jon finally released him, shoving Sami on the couch and slumped in the nearby chair, breathing heavily as sweat caked every part of his body. He'd taken his shirt off during the beating, his knuckles bruised black and blue from how many times he punched Sami.

"Why man? Why would you fuck Tayce when you KNEW we were engaged? I fucking trusted you and you betrayed me. After everything I've done for you. Why the fuck did you do it?" Jon demanded answers and refused to leave until he got them, wanting to know the truth no matter how painful it was. "I deserve to know why I lost her."

Sami coughed out, snorting out blood through his broken nose and winced, managing to look over at Jon through his good eye. The other one was rapidly swelling shut. "Because I love her." He grunted out, knowing that would probably set Jon off again and felt tears course down his cheeks. "She doesn't love me though. She loves you. I-I wronged her, Jon. I fucking seduced her into having sex with me and planted doubts into her head about how you felt. You lost her because of me…and I'm not denying it. It was always you she's wanted and it always will be."

Jon lowered his head and closed his eyes, smoking a cigarette as silent tears slid down his cheeks, not knowing how he was supposed to move on with his life without Tayce Stevens.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

It'd been 3 months since Tayce and Jon called it quits, cutting all ties with each other. Tayce had gone to Cincinnati to see her mother after the breakup and helped her for a week, trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces of her life. Then she received a call from none other than Sam Johnston begging her to become his assistant. He was moving up to the main roster of WWE in a couple months and couldn't keep anything straight to save his life. Tayce told him she'd think it over and had a long talk with her mother about the offer.

"Follow your heart and do what you feel is best, sugar plum."

That's all the brilliant motherly advice Tayce received and she ended up taking Sami up on his offer. There were stipulations though. It was strictly professional and nothing more – no sex or physicality of any kind. She didn't even want to watch a movie with him. It was business, plain and simple. Sami agreed to the terms and offered to help her move into a new apartment in Tampa. Tayce accepted his offer because honestly she wouldn't be able to move half the things she had without his help. She left everything behind in the apartment except her personal belongings, blaming herself entirely for losing Jon.

Miraculously, within one week Tayce had found another apartment that was close to Sami's in case she needed him for anything and reasonably priced. She had money saved up from when she'd been Jon's assistant and the Shield's valet, so she furnished the place, picking what she wanted. Tayce couldn't help crying in the furniture store because memories of her and Jon shopping for it had hit her hard. It'd only been 2 weeks since they'd parted ways, so the wound had been very fresh still. It was basically a hop, skip and jump to the NXT tapings, so Tayce didn't have to travel hardly ever. Sami still had a little tuning up to do in NXT before moving up to the main roster and Tayce knew he would make it big once that happened. He was too talented to be overlooked, just like Jon, Joe and Colby.

For the next two and a half months, Tayce kept as busy as she could and delved into her work. Anything to keep her mind off of Jon. Nights were spent with bottles of wine and sappy chick flicks since Tayce was completely alone. Sami had offered to console her and it took threatening his junk for him to get the message Tayce wasn't interested. After that heated discussion, Sami left her alone to do what she wanted, whatever it took to heal her broken heart, but he made it clear he'd always be there for her. Tayce appreciated that and they maintained a strictly professional partnership.

The hardest part was lying awake at night mulling over everything that happened. All the good times she had with Jon. Tayce had been so adamant about getting him out of the Indies and into the WWE that she didn't think it would destroy everything they had together. Their friendship that turned into a relationship and engagement. Why had she jumped the gun and gotten him signed with WWE? If they were in CZW right now, everything would be fine and once again the fault rested with her in the end. Sami may have seduced her with alcohol, but Tayce had laid down and cheated on Jon willingly with him. She had nobody to blame for losing Jon and hated herself for it.

It was a Wednesday morning in the second week of May when Tayce heard knocking on her apartment door, a groan escaping her. Sami had to be at the NXT arena at noon for a meeting and then practice with the trainers to perfect some moves he'd been working on. Tayce slowly pulled herself from bed, two empty bottles of wine sitting on the nightstand and stumbled out of her bedroom toward the door. She wore black cotton shorts and a tank top, her usual sleepwear and her golden auburn hair was a hot mess. Sami's smiling face greeted Tayce as soon as she opened the door, immediately shielding her eyes from the blazing sunlight behind him. She yanked him inside since he had coffee from Starbucks and shut the door behind him, all the shades still drawn in her apartment.

"Morning sunshine." Sami chirped with a smirk, handing over a French vanilla Frappuccino that had to be specially made since Starbucks didn't offer the straight flavor. "Did someone get to bed late last night?"

"Fuck off." Tayce muttered, inhaling the scent of the Frappuccino and sipped it carefully, scrubbing a hand down her face. "What time is it anyway?"

"Just a little after 9. Don't worry, we don't have to be there until noon. I figured I'd come over and get you motivated though." Sami eyeballed the dishes in the sink that hadn't been done and decided he'd be doing them while she showered, trying to help out any way he could.

"Thanks."

Tayce walked past him into the living room and plopped down on the couch, letting out a loud yawn while flipping the television on. There was another reason Sami came over, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to deliver the news to Tayce yet or not. Maybe after she had the Frappuccino in her system along with a shower, she'd be more awake. He didn't want to blindside her with the news, but Tayce had to know before they left to head to the NXT facility. There was no way around it. If Sami kept it from her, Tayce would castrate him and he refused to lose his boys over bad news.

After sucking down her Frappuccino, Tayce felt a little more alive and decided to go shower since she'd spent an hour flipping idly through channels. Sami had joined her on the couch, but kept a comfortable distance and sipped his own pure black coffee silently. It was the way Tayce preferred to wake up in the morning and he wasn't about to do something to tick her off. He smiled when she announced she was going to shower and waited until he heard the water kick on, the bathroom door closing, before heading over to the pile of dishes.

Dressing in a pair of black dressy capris with a short sleeved black buttoned up top, Tayce slipped two inch black open-toed heels on her feet and did her makeup. Thin black eyeliner, gloss and foundation – the normal. Even though Tayce wasn't happy with her personal life, she couldn't show that professionally. Leaving her hair down, Tayce didn't bother doing anything with it and headed out of the bedroom, shaking her head at the sight of Sami doing her dishes in the kitchen.

"How did I know you'd do that?" She chortled, rolling her eyes at his shrug and had a stack of papers in hand, going over some of them again.

Sami finished up, having stacked all the clean dishes on the counter to dry and wiped his hands off with a dishtowel, heading into the living room. "You look pretty." He complimented with a grin, sitting down beside her and knew this was the time to tell Tayce what was going down tonight. "Look put those down for a second, there's something I need to tell you."

Tayce heard the seriousness in Sami's voice and arched a brow, slowly setting the papers down on the coffee table. "What's going on, Sami? I knew there was a reason behind you bringing me that Frappuccino." She knew Sami better than he knew himself, which both unnerved and thrilled him at the same time. "Out with it, Crowe." Sami's WWE name was Solomon Crowe, so Tayce referred to him as Crowe a lot since he was no longer Callihan.

"Alright – alright you caught me." Sami held his hands up in defense and rubbed them against his blue jeans, clasping them together in front of him. "I heard a rumor through the grapevine and I wasn't sure it was true, so I didn't say anything. But I gotta call from Saraya this morning."

Saraya-Jade Bevis was known as simply Paige in NXT and the current NXT Women's champion. Sami had instantly hit it off with her and they'd grown close over the past couple months. Tayce didn't know what to think about it because Sami remained tight-lipped whenever she asked if they were dating or not. Something told her they were, but she didn't want to pry and dropped the subject. Also, Saraya had been the one who attacked Sophie with Matt when she'd been in NXT, but Saraya realized the error of her ways. She apologized to Sophie when she did a few tapings after being brought up to the main roster in WWE and they resolved their issues.

"What did she say?" Tayce hesitantly asked, feeling her nerves heighten slightly and her stomach tighten, a lump forming in her throat.

"The Shield is coming to the NXT taping tonight to face off against Polinsky and Ben." They were known as Corey Graves and Adrian Neville – two of the cockiest men Sami ever met in his life. "Apparently, they've been running their mouth about Jon, Joe and Colby and they're taking it personally. Those assholes are jealous because of how much success Jon, Joe and Colby have gotten since they were moved up to the main roster. I just wanted to give you a head's up because…well…"

"I know. Jon." Tayce understood and took a deep breath, knowing she wouldn't be able to avoid him forever since they worked for the same company. "Thanks for telling me, Sami." She patted his leg gently and stood up from the couch, shoving all of her personal feelings regarding Jon in the back of her mind. "How about I make us some bagels and then we can hit the road?"

Sami couldn't believe how well she was taking this news, but he shouldn't have been surprised. Tayce was a complete professional when it came to her job and he knew she'd have her freak out when she was alone. He respected that and nodded at her bagel suggestion, knowing they had to hit the road soon. 10 minutes later, they were out the door with a block of cream cheese and two toasted bagels, heading to the NXT facility. Tayce didn't talk and just ate her bagel, staring out the window deep in thought about what Sami told her.

What if she ran into Jon tonight? What would she say? What would she do? It'd been 3 of the longest months of her life, each day more daunting than the next. Slowly, she was mending her shattered heart and piecing it back together again, but Tayce didn't know if she could handle seeing Jon so soon. Why hadn't Sophie told her? Joe more than likely didn't tell her and, if that was the case, he would get a tongue lashing from his wife. Tayce had to keep her emotions in check because she was already in hot water with the higher-ups in WWE. This was literally her last chance to have a job in the company and if she blew it in any way, Tayce would be fired.

Once they arrived at the facility, Sami headed inside with Tayce following suit, both walking down the hallway toward the dressing room. Only the champions had their own dressing rooms currently, but Saraya didn't mind sharing with Sami and Tayce since a lot of people didn't care for them. Matt and Ben had spread rumors throughout the locker room that Sami had gotten this job because of Jonathan Good, but thankfully Saraya knew better. She was actually a sweetheart and Tayce got along with her famously, especially since Sophie had given the green light as far as Saraya being a decent human being.

10 minutes later, Saraya and Sami headed out of the dressing room to the ring for their meeting while Tayce stayed behind to do paperwork. She honestly didn't mind being out of the spotlight, it was refreshing and different. Deciding she could use some coffee, Tayce set her paperwork down and headed out toward the cafeteria, deep in thought about the possibility of running into Jon. She rounded the corner and stopped short at the sight of Jon standing against the wall with Colby and Joe, freezing in her tracks. He was really here in the flesh and he looked amazing, his arms bigger than the last time she saw him. The tactical vest and cargo pants molded to his body perfectly, his hair slicked back with water and a clean shaven face.

Jon felt eyes on him while trying to listen to the strategy for tonight's match at the NXT taping and snapped his head up, feeling his breath leave his body. Wide amber orbs met questioning bluish grey. What the hell was she doing here? Jon had no idea Tayce worked for NXT and wondered why he hadn't run into her since they'd done a few tapings since the volatile breakup. Colby and Joe noticed who Jon was staring at as well, both of their eyes widening as well with dropped jaws. Apparently Sophie and Celeste had kept her secret about working in NXT with Sami. They really were her best friends.

Tayce had a choice to make. She could walk away and head back to the dressing room or keep going past them to the cafeteria. For some reason, her feet started moving of their own accord as Tayce kept close to the wall farthest from them, averting her gaze from Jon. She could already feel the tears swelling in her eyes and did everything in her power to blink them away, but it was extremely hard. Jon couldn't stop himself from reaching out and stopping Tayce before she fully went past them, feeling her tense instantly, immediately releasing her. He didn't blame her for reacting that way after the way he treated her 3 months ago. She looked more beautiful than ever, her skin a deep bronze since she'd been apparently hanging out in Tampa instead of Cincinnati, like he originally thought.

"Tayce." Her name sounded foreign coming out of his mouth because Jon hadn't said it since the night they broke up.

Shutting her eyes at the sound of Jon's voice, Tayce felt a shudder rush through her body and refused to look up at him, swallowing hard. "Jon." She said in barely above a whisper, nodding curtly and started walking around him, but he stepped in her way. "Something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I want to talk to you." Jon stated, missing her more than words could say and wished he could pull her into his arms, wanting to wash all of her pain away. "Please look at me."

"I'm not interested." Tayce muttered, trying to sidestep him and gritted her teeth when he blocked her again. "Jon…" She made the mistake of looking up into his turmoil-filled blues and knew she was responsible for it, feeling sick to her stomach. "Please move."

"Not until you agree to talk to me." Jon folded his arms in front of his chest, showcasing his well-known stubbornness. "We don't have to do it here. I'll come to you if you want."

As much as she wanted to tell him to go to hell, Tayce couldn't. The more she stared into his eyes, the more she realized how much she truly missed and still loved him. Even after all the horrible things they said to each other and everything she'd done to him, there was that undying love that refused to be extinguished. It was obvious Jon missed her too or else he wouldn't have stopped her from walking past him twice.

"Fine." She rattled off her address to him and knew he had the day off tomorrow, so there was no reason he couldn't come to her place that night after the NXT taping. "I'm heading there after the taping. If you're serious and you want to talk, meet me there. Now I really have to go."

Jon committed the address to memory and felt a jolt of electricity rush through his body as soon as their arms brushed together, turning to watch her leave. Joe and Colby walked up to stand on either side of him, each of their hands resting on his shoulders, silently giving him their support. Jon nodded, knowing this was his chance to make things right with Tayce and hopefully rekindle what they used to have. There was no way in hell he was leaving Tampa, Florida without Tayce, no matter what he had to do.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Jon showed up at Tayce's apartment a little after 11 PM that night.

The taping hadn't gone as smoothly as he would've liked and Jon had to stop by his apartment to change. He showered at the NXT facility after his match, letting Joe crash at his place while Colby went to his own. Colby lived a few blocks away from Jon's, so Joe was the only one who lived 6 hours away in Pensacola. They would meet up with Sophie and Celeste in the morning, who had a charity event to attend for WWE. They were flying into Tampa and then the Anoa'i's would take a redeye flight to Pensacola for their last day off.

"Are you sure you wanna go through with this, bro?" Joe had to ask, leaning in Jon's bedroom doorway while the man scurried around getting ready to head to Tayce's.

"Yes." There wasn't a hint of hesitation in Jon's answer. "I know she cheated on me with Sami and I know I'm probably setting myself up for another fucking disappointment, but…I love her, man. I've always loved her and it hasn't changed or gone away. I have to make this right somehow. I need her in my life."

"I know how that goes. Look how many times I fucked up with Sophie." Joe muttered, more to himself than anything and ran a hand through his long black hair. "I just don't want you getting hurt again, that's all. If this is what you want, then go get her and bring her back home. I know Soph and Celeste will be thrilled."

Jon smiled genuinely, thankful Joe was on his side with this and clapped him on the shoulder. "Make yourself at home and don't expect to see me until Friday." He was confident in his ability to mend the hurt and pain with Tayce. All she had to do was let him in.

Standing outside of Tayce's apartment door, Jon finished his cigarette, wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans, dishwater blonde curls hanging in all directions on top of his head. He didn't bother brushing his hair because it would become haphazard anyway once it fully dried. Brushing it out of his eyes, Jon flicked his smoke in the grass and took a deep breath, raising his hand to knock on the door. It was late and he knew Tayce had left the NXT facility way before he did, so he hoped she was still awake.

Tayce didn't expect Jon to show up at her apartment, honestly. Why would he? Tayce's head snapped up when she heard a knock on the door and glanced at the clock, seeing it was a little after 11 PM. She dozed off for a few hours watching television and rubbed her eyes, slowly sitting upright. Sami had to stay behind at the NXT facility for more training after the taping ended and Saraya assured her he'd get home safely. Tayce arrived home around 8 PM, showered, made dinner and then laid on the couch half-watching a movie. She currently wore black boy cut panty shorts and a spaghetti strapped tank top that showed part of her stomach, her usual sleepwear. Her stomach did flip-flops when the knocking persisted on her door and Tayce stood up from the couch, padding over to look through the peephole.

It was Jon.

"He actually showed up." She murmured quietly to herself, feeling her heart rate pick up in speed and had to take a deep breath to calm down. "You can do this. Just talk to him and get it over with." Unlocking the door, Tayce turned the doorknob and opened it, staring back into those hypnotic blue eyes.

"Sorry it's late." Jon immediately apologized, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and suddenly felt the need to smoke another cigarette. His nerves were on edge. "Do you still want to talk?"

"Yeah sure, come in." She stepped aside and let him walk through the door, closing it behind him flipping the lock back into place. "Do you want something to drink?"

"A beer if you've got it." Jon replied, busy admiring her small apartment and immediately noticed she didn't have lot.

There was a couch, coffee table, tall lamp in the corner and television with a stand, the floor carpeted a light beige. Black curtains hung over the windows to keep nosy people out since Tayce was somewhat known in the world of WWE. Jon cracked a smile when Tayce walked back in a few minutes later with a beer and a glass of wine for herself, arching a brow. Since when did she start drinking wine? He cracked the top open on his beer and took a long swig, sitting down on the opposite side of the couch just as Tayce did, tension slowly thickening the air.

"So what did you want to talk about?" That was a loaded question, but Tayce refused to sit here in front of her ex-fiancé in silence.

Loaded indeed, Jon thought, taking another long swig of his beer and tried finding the right words to start this conversation with. "You know why I'm here, Tayce. I don't think I need to say it." He finally said and pulled his pack of smokes out of his pocket, lighting one up.

Lowering her eyes from him, Tayce could already feel the emotions stirring inside of her and took a long sip from her wine glass, shaking her head. "I don't know what you want me to say, Jon."

"Yeah well that makes two of us." Jon took a drag from his freshly lit cigarette and pulled the ashtray over that was on the coffee table toward him, flicking some ash in it. "No fuck that, I do know what I want to say. I'm just being a chicken shit about it and I need to stop." He was talking more to himself than her, giving a pep-talk so to speak. "I miss you, Tayce. I miss you being in my corner and by my side. It hasn't been the same without you these past 3 months. I want my boss lady back kicking me in the ass when I need it and psyching me up for matches. I need you back in my life."

Shutting her eyes, Tayce felt the dam break as tears began flooding down her cheeks, but she didn't make a sound, not able to look him in the eye. "I miss you too." She hated how her voice cracked and sniffled, pulling tissues from the box that was also on her coffee table to wipe her nose.

"Then let's fix this." Jon couldn't stay away from her any longer and moved until he was right beside her, breathing every bit of Tayce in that he could. "I can't function without you. I've been a complete asshole and bear to everyone and the guys are about fed up with me. Hell, Sophie screamed at me the other day because I've been so miserable and treating everyone like shit. I actually called her a rotten bitch and I've never seen a woman get pissed off as fast as her. I'm surprised my nuts are still intact."

Tayce couldn't help chuckling, though it was a watery sound and shook her head. "She does have quite a temper on her. And you deserved it for calling her a rotten bitch. She's anything but." She still refused to look at Jon and hastily wiped the tears away that kept falling, heaving a sigh. "I don't know how to fix this, Jon. I don't know if we can at this point. We said and did a lot of hurtful things to each other that night…"

"How about we start with some truth and honesty?" Jon suggested, wishing she would look at him because he missed those beautiful amber eyes piercing him right down to his very soul. "And anything can be fixed, but you have to want to do it. Sophie sat me down and explained to me what happened between you and Sami, what REALLY happened. But I want to hear it from you. I wanna know the truth this time, Tayce – all of it."

"Okay." She would comply with whatever Jon wanted and slowly turned until she fully faced him, but her eyes remained lowered from his. "Sami didn't want me leaving CZW to go with you to WWE. We used each other for sex because it was the only way to try to forget the people we were in love with. Obviously, I was in love with you and didn't have the guts to tell you until we were in WWE. But somehow Sami fell in love with me and not the woman he'd been using me to try to get over. I don't know how it happened, but it did. And he kept calling me while we were in WWE trying to convince me to leave you for him. When he came to visit for those few days after the girl's weekend I had with Sophie and Celeste, I told him nothing had changed and I still loved you. He told me he didn't care, which was a lie and we slept together. Somehow in his brain, he thought since we had sex, we had a connection and he assumed I would choose him over you. That didn't happen. So the day I came home without you, I went to the mall to try to find something to wear for the Royal Rumble because I wanted to look nice and I ran into him. I tried walking away, but he pursued me and convinced me to come to his apartment that night for dinner. We ate dinner and the alcohol started flowing. I can honestly tell you I'm still fuzzy on what happened because I drank way more than I should have. I do remember Sami planting doubts in my head about your love for me. After we slept together when he visited us, he kept calling and made me start to believe that you didn't really want to marry me, that you were doing it out of obligation or something. I was drunk, naïve and ended up giving into him that night. The sex was completely consensual, even though he seduced me into it. It's still my fault too, it takes two to have sex and I could've fought harder. I should've and I didn't. When I woke up the next day, I realized what happened and kicked the hell out of Sami because he tried making me stay. He told me not to go back to you, but I didn't listen. I screamed at him that you were the only man I ever wanted and I would ever love, that nothing he could say or do would change my feelings for you. And I left, came back home, showered, cried, puked and slept because the hangover I had caused a crippling migraine. After that, I didn't hear from him for almost a month and he called me the day we…ended things." She swallowed hard and took a long swig of her wine since her throat was dry from all that talking. "He tried apologizing to me and told me not to tell you what happened between us because he didn't want to hurt you. He still wanted to be your Best Man at our wedding. I told him I'd think about it, hung up on him and headed down to the hotel gym to talk to Sophie since she knew about everything that happened. Please don't get upset with her. I asked her not to say anything to you because I did plan on telling you what happened. I just couldn't find the right time and place and I was scared I'd lose you. And look, that happened anyway."

Jon sat and listened to everything she said regarding Sami, though he already knew it. The night he visited Sami, Jon had beaten him within an inch of his life and demanded to know what happened, so Sami told him. He left nothing out and admitted that he seduced Tayce into having sex with him. She was right, it was consensual, but if she hadn't been liquored up, it never would've happened. That much Jon knew was true and believed. He also knew Tayce still loved him and Jon would do everything in his power to make sure she came back to the main roster with him. Sami had called and told him the offer he made Tayce and, at first, Jon wasn't happy about it. But then he started thinking rationally and was thankful Tayce worked for someone she knew instead of a complete stranger. Jon still didn't trust Sami and wouldn't for a long while, but they were slowly rebuilding their friendship to what it used to be before any of this happened.

"Thank you." Reaching out, Jon finally lifted her chin with his strong hand until those swollen amber eyes met his, his thumb wiping away the tears from her cheek. "Sami told me everything that happened. I went to see him the night we broke up, beat the shit out of him and made him tell me what really happened. Because I knew you'd never cheat on me, not without a reason behind it. I'm not mad at you anymore, Tayce. You made a mistake, you're fucking human and lashing out at you that day was wrong. I should've listened instead of hurt you the way I did and I'm sorry. You'll never know how sorry I am. If I could turn back the fucking clock, I would in a second because I also know you didn't kiss Randy Orton."

"H-How do you know that?" Tayce stammered, not able to pull away from him and felt his thumb brush across her bottom lip. "D-Did he tell you?"

Jon nodded, pressing his forehead to hers and cupped the back of her head lovingly, swallowing hard. "Yeah, he did the night of WrestleMania." He still regretted Tayce not being there since it was because of her that he made it to the WWE in the first place. "He tried pissing me off so I'd throw a punch and get kicked out of the match. I didn't though. I knew what he was doing and he told me everything he did to you. The altercations you two had, him backhanding you because you burned him with coffee and the ultimatum he threw at you. He said you wanted his cock instead of mine, but you were too afraid to leave my side." It was Jon's turn to snort, shaking his head. "I didn't believe it for a second and realized how much I fucked up. You have no idea how many times I tried calling you, but every time I dialed your number I couldn't do it. I didn't think you wanted to hear from me after everything I put you through that day."

"It's over and done with now. There's no reason to keep bringing it up. We both said and did horrible things to each other that day, Jon. At least you know the truth about everything now." Tayce murmured softly, not moving from the spot she sat in and felt his lips caress her forehead, keeping her hands clasped in her lap. "I should've told you everything that happened when it did instead of keeping it all bottled up inside. Maybe then none of this would've happened and we'd still be together."

Slowly pulling back, Jon brushed the curls out of his eyes and reached down, taking her hand in his as their fingers laced together. That in itself felt like pure heaven. "I still love you, Tayce. There's nobody else I want in my corner. Please give us a second chance and I swear I won't fuck it up this time. I'll do everything in my power to give you everything you want. I need you, boss lady. And I know you need me too or I wouldn't be here right now. Let's just forget the shit that happened and start over fresh with a real relationship and see where shit goes."

Her response was pulling his face down to hers, passionately kissing him for the first time in 3 long months.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Tayce thought it was a dream.

Slowly waking up the following morning, Tayce pried her eyes open to the darkness of her bedroom and reached behind her, feeling a cold spot. Her eyes closed, trying to will the tears away because everything that happened the previous night didn't really happen. Jon would never forgive her for what she did, why would he? Then she heard the toilet flush in the bathroom and Tayce's head snapped up, relief flooding her body at the sight of Jon stepping back into the room. Jon noticed the tears in her eyes, his eyes adjusted well to the darkness and immediately went to her side, cupping her face tenderly with his hand.

"What's wrong, baby? Why are you crying?" He asked softly, his heart breaking at the sight of the tears glistening in her beautiful amber orbs. "Talk to me."

"I-I thought it was a dream, that you weren't really here." Tayce covered his hand with hers, their fingers lacing together and sighed as he kissed her tenderly.

"Did that feel real?" Jon smirked when she nodded and gently pushed her back to lay down, hovering over her as his mouth attached to her neck. "How about this?"

"Yes…" Tayce breathed out, immediately burying one hand in his soft curls and the other caressed his muscular bare arm, enjoying the attention he gave her immensely. "You're supposed to pinch someone to make sure they aren't dreaming though, Mox."

An evil grin spread across his handsome face as Jon's brow lifted, watching Tayce's entire face flush with color. "Is that right? Well then, looks like we'll have to test that theory out." His hand slid down her side and beneath until he came in contact with her backside, giving it a firm pinch.

Tayce squealed, bucking off the bed and smacked Jon's shoulder, a playful scowl crossing her face. "You ass!"

"Hey, I told you we had to test the theory. Had to make sure you weren't dreaming." Jon winked, caressing the spot on her backside where he pinched her and went back to assaulting her neck. "You can pinch me if you want, but I know I'm not dreaming."

They made out heavily the previous night for hours on end, getting reacquainted with each other's bodies. Tayce told Jon she didn't want to jump back into sex with him right away and he respected that. She wanted to take things slow because there was no rush with them. They loved each other, they were in love and eventually they would end up naked in bed together, but not until she was ready. As much as it pained Tayce, she had to make sure Jon really did forgive her for everything she did, for all the secrets she kept from him. She had no idea how long that would take, but had a feeling she'd give into Jon sooner or later. For now, they were enjoying being playful and enjoying each other thoroughly.

"Do you think Sami is gonna be pissed when you tell him you're coming back on the road with me tomorrow?" Jon asked a little while later, running his fingers through Tayce's hair while her head rested on his bare chest over his heart.

Tayce shrugged, tightening her arm around him a little more. "He'll get over it. I know where I belong." She slowly sat up to rest her chin on his chest, gently gliding her nails up and down his side lovingly. "I think we should head over to Sami's today and tell him what's going on. I don't want to blindside him tomorrow."

"He has another taping at the facility." Jon pointed out, knowing NXT was taped on Wednesdays and Thursdays, though thankfully the Shield didn't have to make an appearance at tonight's taping. "So we'll have to do it after he's finished since its past noon now."

"I could always call him." She suggested, pressing a soft kiss to Jon's chest and nuzzled it a little, smirking when he growled. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

"Keep it up, boss lady, and we won't be leaving this apartment at all." Jon grunted, suddenly rolling her over to lay on her back and captured her mouth with his. They stopped when their stomachs rumbled simultaneously and laughed. "I think we should eat something before we waste away. How about we go out somewhere? I could go for a greasy cheeseburger."

Tayce rolled her eyes, shoving him away playfully and slid from the bed. "Whatever you want to do, Mox. I don't really have a whole lot here and I'm not going grocery shopping since I'm heading on the road with you tomorrow."

Sami had no idea Jon had paid Tayce a visit because it was none of his business. He didn't need to know what she did in her personal life and, if he was smart, he wouldn't make a big fuss over her going back to the main roster with Jon. Tayce knew she would have to get through the Stephanie McMahon-Levesque obstacle, but hopefully everything would work out. Either she quit her job and stayed on the road with Jon in hotel rooms or Stephanie would simply let her become his assistant again. Sami didn't need an assistant nearly as bad as the Shield did, so if Stephanie was smart she would make the right decision.

Jon's phone rang, so Tayce left him alone to answer it while she figured out what to wear. She decided on a jean skirt and a light blue baby doll top with a white camisole beneath. Tayce had worn a lot of black lately because of her dark mood, but now that Jon was back into her life, she wanted to wear color again. Jon stepped out of the bedroom to take the phone call and to let Tayce get dressed. He couldn't handle watching her, not without pinning her to the bed and claiming every part of her. That would come in time, he had to be patient and would do whatever it took to make Tayce believe he forgave her for everything.

"So how did it go?" It was Joe naturally, checking up on Jon.

"It went good, bro. We'll be heading out tomorrow to head back on the road." Jon replied, lowering himself to the steps outside Tayce's apartment with a lit cigarette. "She's coming back with me."

Joe chuckled, accepting a soft kiss from Sophie as she handed him a cup of hot coffee. "I figured it would work out. Maybe now you'll stop being a damn bear to everyone." Sophie raised a brow, wondering who he was talking to and figured it was a family member, heading back out to finish breakfast.

"So you're not telling Sophie then? Gonna make it a surprise?" Jon took a long drag of his cigarette and let the warm sun slowly start baking him, closing his eyes. This was the most he felt alive and content in 3 months.

"What was your first clue? I know I'll get my ass handed to me for it by Soph, but it's worth it. She'll be ecstatic. So I take it you set up a meeting with Stephanie already?" Joe knew Jon was always one step ahead whenever he had a plan and slowly stood up from the bed, yawning.

Jon shook his head, flicking ash away on the steps and brushed it off with his toes. "Nope. I gave her an ultimatum. I told her I'd quit and go back to the Indies if she didn't let Tayce be my assistant again. She accepted and said she wants to have a meeting with Tayce to smooth any animosity over. So we'll see what happens."

It wasn't surprising that Jon threatened to quit the WWE, not when it came to Tayce. He'd do absolutely anything for her and Joe hoped she understood that. He would end up cutting her in half with a spear if she ever hurt his brother again. Colby was on the fence about Jon getting back together with Tayce, but he respected the man's decision. They would give Tayce one more chance and somehow Joe knew she would not screw it up. They belonged together, it was a simple fact of life. They talked for a little while longer and hung up since Sophie had finished breakfast for Joe. Flicking his second cigarette butt over the railing, Jon stood up and headed back inside, greeted with a cup of hot black coffee.

"Thanks, boss lady." He kissed Tayce gently and lightly squeezed her backside through the jean material of her skirt.

"I figured we could use some java before heading out to get something to eat. And while you were talking to Joe, Sami called." If this was going to work out, Tayce had to be completely honest with Jon about everything from now on. "He said to meet him at his apartment at 5 tonight. He doesn't know you're here or the fact we got back together either."

Jon nodded, setting his coffee down and pulled Tayce to straddle his lap, strong hands gliding up and down her sides. "Sounds good, you ready to head out to get something to eat then?" As if on cue, both of their stomachs rumbled again. "That would be a yes."

Laughing, Tayce squealed out when Jon lifted her caveman style over his shoulder and carted her out of the apartment. He made sure to grab her purse on the way out and turned around so she could reach down to lock the place up. She wouldn't be here for long. Jon would have her back in their beautiful apartment within a month's time. They ended up going to their favorite diner on the outskirts of Tampa, ordering their usual and caught up with what they'd done over the past 3 months. The Extreme Rules pay-per-view was in a few weeks and Jon had a match for the United States championship against Kofi Kingston, –His real name was Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah- which was a huge opportunity. Tayce couldn't have been prouder of him and knew he would win. Jon would dominate the WWE just like he did every Independent organization he stepped foot in. He would leave his mark and it would start when he won the United States title at the pay-per-view.

After eating and talking, they headed off to Sami's since it was a quarter to 5. Tayce wasn't looking forward to this and held Jon's hand the whole time, staring out the window deep in thought. Jon had let her in on what Joe had planned as far as her being a surprise for Sophie and Celeste, not having a problem with it. She looked forward to being back on the road with her girls and the love of her life. It didn't matter what Sami said at this point, Tayce knew what she wanted and where she belonged. She looked over as Jon brought her hand up to kiss the back of it, their fingers still locked and smiled, happiness igniting her amber eyes.

When they arrived outside of Sami's apartment building, Jon shut the ignition off and started to get out, but Tayce stopped him. "Wait." She waited until he slid back behind the wheel and leaned over, passionately kissing him. "I love you. I just wanted to tell you that before we go in there."

Jon smirked, already knowing that and caressed her face with the back of his hand. "I know, I love you too. Now come on, let's get this over with." They both got out and Jon instantly reached for Tayce's hand, needing it for strength because he hadn't been here since the night he beat the hell out of Sami.

"It'll be okay." Tayce whispered, feeling Jon's apprehension and took a deep breath herself, reaching up to knock on the door.

A few seconds later, Sami answered the door and felt his green eyes widen at the sight of Tayce standing hand in hand with Jon. What the hell? When did this happen? He hadn't forgotten the beating Jon gave him the night he lost Tayce and never would, swallowing hard. He was half-expecting another beating and hoped Tayce held Jon back because the man could be vicious when provoked.

"Gonna invite us in or what, Sami?" Jon demanded gruffly, feeling Tayce squeeze his hand and flashed a quick tense smirk down at her. "I'm good, boss lady."

"Depends." Sami folded his arms in front of his chest. "Are you gonna beat my ass again?"

"Do I have to?"

"No, I got the message loud and clear last time."

"There's your answer, now let us in." Jon ordered, brushing past Sami inside the apartment with Tayce, both of them sitting down on the couch. "Got a beer?"

Sami nodded, suddenly needing one and walked into the kitchen to grab 3 cans, taking the recliner adjacent to the couch. "Here." He slid two cans over to them on the coffee table and cracked his own open, taking a long swig. "So, when did this happen? Last night I'm assuming?"

Tayce nodded, looking up at Jon and couldn't stop smiling, placing her other hand over their clasped ones. "I'm not your assistant anymore, that's what I came over here to tell you. I'm going back on the road with Jon where I belong. You don't need an assistant right now since you still got polishing to do in the ring. Jon is part of a major storyline in the WWE right now and needs me along with Joe and Colby." She explained, not holding anything back and felt Jon kiss the top of her head softly.

Opening his mouth to argue, Sami suddenly realized that he never had Tayce. She never looked at him the way she looked at Jon. That moment was an eye-opener for him, the final nail in the coffin so to speak. She was bound to Jonathan Good in every way and nothing would change it. If this was what Tayce wanted, if Jon was who she wanted, then Sami refused to stand in the way of her happiness a second longer.

"I'm happy for you, Tayce, really. Both of you are still my closest friends, even though I royally fucked up and made some bad choices. Hopefully in time, we can get past that and you'll be able to trust me fully again one day." Sami meant what he said and held his beer up, smiling when Jon and Tayce followed, all of them gently clinking their cans together.

"In time." Jon agreed, silently sending a message to Sami with his eyes that if he didn't back off when it came to Tayce, he would kill him and bury the body.

"One day." Tayce murmured, nodding and knew eventually her friendship with Sami would be back to normal because time healed all wounds, no matter how long it took.

They talked a little longer before Sami sent them packing, wanting to relax and get some sleep. Of course he was lying through his teeth. He watched Jon and Tayce pull away from the building, waving at them and headed back inside straight to his bedroom. Saraya smiled at him and accepted his soft kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around her body pulling her closer to him. They were secretly dating and had been for the past 3 months, but nobody knew about it. And they wouldn't until both Sami and Saraya were ready to tell people. Tayce was no longer his primary focus as far as a woman was concerned because Saraya had taken over his feelings for her the moment he laid eyes on her.

Everything had finally fallen into place correctly for the first time in their lives.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"Joe, what the hell is going on?"

He smirked, guiding his beautiful wife off the elevator they took from their hotel suite and had tied a blindfold over her eyes so Sophie couldn't see anything. "You'll find out soon, baby. Relax." He rumbled in her ear, keeping his hands on her hips and chuckled at her groan of protest.

"This is so not funny. I hate surprises." Sophie grumbled good-naturedly, knowing Joe wouldn't let her get hurt while she was temporary blinded. "Where are we going?"

"Just wait." Joe had black shades on since the sun was incredibly bright and nodded when Colby joined them moments later with a blindfolded Celeste.

"Babe, normally I wouldn't mind this, but we're not alone in the bedroom. What is going on?" Celeste demanded, folding her arms in front of her chest and felt his arm wrap around her shoulders.

"Hold your damn horses." Colby ordered softly, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her two-toned head. "Any minute…"

5 minutes later, a car pulled up to the hotel and both men looked at each other with smirks on their faces, nodding simultaneously. Not yet. They watched as Jon hopped out of the car along with Tayce, grabbing their bags and decided it was time to remove the blindfolds. At the same time, somehow, both Joe and Colby pulled the cloths away from their women's eyes, stepping back. It took a moment for Sophie and Celeste to regain their vision, but once they did a high-pitched squeal filled the air.

"OH MY GOD, TAYCE!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

Tayce laughed, running toward the two people who supported her through everything since she came to the WWE with Jon. Tears flowed along with laughter, all 3 women hugging and talking a million miles a minute. Jon chuckled and shook his head, joining his brothers on the sidewalk, black shades covering his eyes. Happiness flowed through them at the sight of Tayce finally back where she belonged and he'd do everything he could to keep things that way. Sophie suddenly turned and jumped into her husband's arms, feeling him spin her around as her mouth came crashing down on his. Celeste did the same thing with Colby, both of thanking their men for the wonderful surprise. Shrugging, Tayce did the same thing and forced Jon to release the bags so he caught her, wrapping her legs around his waist while he held her close.

"I love you." She whispered, rubbing her nose against his and kissed him softly, squealing when he pinched her backside. "No foreplay in public, Mox."

"You don't call the current position you're in my arms foreplay, boss lady?" He smirked when she yanked on his hair playfully and growled, nuzzling her neck. "Keep it up and watch what happens." Jon pulled back, staring into her eyes and kissed the tip of her nose. "Love you too."

"I hate cutting this reunion short, but I have a meeting with Stephanie in an hour at Starbucks down the street." She said, feeling Jon set her down on her feet and winked, letting him know everything would be fine.

Everyone headed back inside the hotel and went up to the suite, the girls instantly bombarding Tayce with demands on how she wound up back with Jon. They knew about her job with NXT and being Sami's assistant, so Tayce didn't bother explaining that. She told them what happened, how she'd run into Jon during the NXT taping and invited him back to her place because he asked to talk. The girls were ecstatic and Sophie actually stood up walking over to Jon, hugging him tightly. Jon chuckled, kissing the top of her head and noticed something was definitely different about her. He couldn't put his finger on it though and would soon find out. Joe was acting different too.

"Everyone come sit down." Sophie said sweetly, lacing her fingers with Joe as they remained standing while Jon sat beside Tayce, Colby next to Celeste respectfully.

"I knew it." Jon muttered, ignoring Tayce's questioning look she shot him and shrugged. "Out with it you two before you burst all over the room."

Sophie couldn't contain her excitement any longer and could already feel tears stinging her eyes. "We wanted to wait to tell you this, but…Tayce coming back has changed all of that. So I hope you 4 are ready to be Aunties and Uncles in about 6 months because I'm pregnant and my first trimester finished as of today."

Tayce's jaw dropped along with Celeste, both of them suddenly noticing the weight Sophie had put on and squealed out simultaneously. "HOLY SHIT – I MEAN CRAP!" Celeste crowed, covering her mouth with her hand and walked over to hug Sophie tightly. "I can't believe you kept it from me!"

"We didn't want to jinx it." Sophie said softly, turning to face Tayce as they embraced tighter, both women crying happy tears together. "I wanted to tell you so many times, but…"

Tayce shook her head, pressing a finger to her lips and placed a hand over Sophie's rock hard stomach, the biggest smile crossing her face. "Don't apologize. You had every right to keep this secret as long as you wanted." Then she had a thought. "You were pregnant that day Jon and I broke up weren't you?"

"Guilty." Sophie didn't bother denying it, not minding Tayce feeling her stomach since they were practically sisters. "I found out the previous day before the blowup and Joe didn't even know until later that night after you took off back to Cincinnati to stay with your Mom. Did you call and tell her you and Jon are back together?"

"Yeah, she's thrilled as usual and can't wait to move to Tampa. The house has finally sold and Jon still wants her with us since we're hardly at the apartment."

Tayce had agreed to move back in with Jon on the plane because he'd brought the subject up, not wanting her in the one bedroom hole she lived in now. He wanted her home and, honestly, Tayce wanted the same thing. There was no way in hell Jon wanted Tayce living in a separate apartment away from him. They were together again and it would stay that way until they both passed on. Marcie would be moved in after the Extreme Rules pay-per-view and she couldn't wait to get to the warm climate of Tampa, Florida. This second chance had been incredible so far and Tayce hoped it remained that way for a long time to come.

A half an hour later, Tayce walked inside the Starbucks that was down the street from the hotel and spotted Stephanie McMahon-Levesque waiting for her. She was right on time thankfully and had a pair of tan dress pants on with a black and tan matching short sleeved buttoned up top. Her golden auburn hair was pulled back in a neat bun and she had two inch black boots on her feet, wanting to look as professional as possible. Stephanie smiled, waving her over and sipped more of her latte she ordered. Tayce ordered a Frappuccino with vanilla and hazelnut mixed, finally directing her attention to Stephanie. She was prepared to hear whatever the woman had to say, folding her hands on the table. Stephanie was blunt as always, informing Tayce that this was her final chance and if she blew it, she would lose her job. She couldn't keep bouncing back and forth between wrestlers just because of personal issues. It was very unprofessional and Tayce understood, promising it wouldn't happen again. She thanked Stephanie for the opportunity at a second chance and shook hands with her.

"Don't screw it up, Tayce. You are an asset to the company and it would be a shame if you lost your job because of personal problems." Stephanie said seriously, standing up along with Tayce as they both tossed their cups away in the nearby trashcan.

"Understood. Thank you for also letting me stay out of the spotlight. I'm much more comfortable staying in the back and being an assistant." Tayce meant it, appreciating Stephanie seeing her side of things for a change.

"Not a problem, I think it'll make things a lot easier for everyone all around."

They parted ways and Tayce drove back to the hotel to get ready for Raw that night. The Extreme Rules pay-per-view was that Sunday, so everyone had to have their game faces on. Not that they didn't, but Raw shows right before a pay-per-view were vital. Tayce had settled back into her old routine and it felt like she'd never left or parted ways with Jon for 3 months. The only difference was she no longer accompanied the Shield to the ring whenever they had segments or matches, preferring it that way. Sophie kept her company in the back since her wrestling career had been put on hold due to being pregnant. She was actually contemplating quitting wrestling altogether because she didn't want to raise their child on the road, wanting he or she to have a normal childhood. Tayce did not blame her, agreeing wholeheartedly and offered to go back to Pensacola with her to help if Sophie wanted once she could no longer travel. Marcie would be ecstatic as well and would fly in to help pamper Sophie, both girls laughing at the thought.

"I want you to be our baby's godmother, Tayce." Sophie said a few days later while they were alone in the hotel suite while the boys were at the gym with Celeste. "And Joe is going to ask Jon to be the godfather. So what do you say?"

Tayce was shocked and had no idea what to say, refusing to turn down the honor of being Sophie's baby's godmother. She knew Jon would feel the same way and had a sinking feeling Joe was asking Jon at that moment to be the godfather. Sure enough, Jon came barreling through the door with the biggest smile on his face and lifted Tayce in the air, crowing out about being a godfather. Tayce laughed, shaking her head and kissed him, informing him she was the godmother. That made Jon spin her around in circles again and then he carefully hugged Sophie, thanking her from the bottom of his heart. Sophie and Joe both knew they made the right decision in choosing Jon and Tayce because nobody would love their child more, other than his or her parents, than those two.

Sunday arrived and Tayce could tell Jon was extremely nervous about his title match that night against Kofi. She held his hand, trying to soothe him the best she could, but even she was nervous. If Jon won, -He hadn't told her the results because he wanted it to be a surprise- it would be his first major title in the WWE. She knew he would win, Jon didn't have to tell her. That's how much faith and confidence she had in him to get the job done. They arrived at the arena and Tayce started on her work while Jon changed into his wrestling gear. She didn't know what it was about the cargo pants and tactical vest, but it was incredibly sexy on him. Though, she did miss him wrestling in his underwear tights as Moxley, the Shield gear fit him as well. Whatever made him happy is all that mattered to Tayce and Jon was somewhat self-conscious of the scars on his back from all the brutal matches he had in CZW. She found them sexy as well and proved it every time she gave him a back massage, purposely gliding her lips against the scar lines. The massage never lasted very long because Jon became turned on every time she did it and they would end up having sex.

"No pep-talk tonight, boss lady?" Jon asked, looking over at her while he tied his boots up and then began doing pushups.

"Do you need one?" Tayce retorted, setting her papers down on the couch the company provided since they knew the Shield had a permanent assistant.

Jon smirked, standing up after doing his sets and walked over to sit beside her, pulling her to straddle his lap. "Been a while since you gave me one." He pointed out, missing her pep-talks because they always fired him up and made him that much better in the ring.

Tayce smiled and slid her fingers through his wet slick hair, brushing her lips softly against his. "You're the best. Untouchable. Nobody can hold a candle to you in that ring. So you go out there, you give it your all. You go balls to the walls as much as they'll let you and you show your peers and the WWE fans just who Dean Ambrose is. You come back with that gold and be the boss I know you can be. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah boss lady, I hear you loud and clear."

In under 10 minutes, Jon had taken everything Kofi dished out and came out on top, delivering his finishing move the Headlock Driver. Tayce missed the Hook & Ladder move he did in the Indies, but she knew he was no longer Jon Moxley. Tonight, Dean Ambrose had officially been born and nobody would ever forget his name. She laughed, watching on the monitor with Sophie as Colby and Joe rushed to the ring, all of them celebrating like raving lunatics. Joe gave Jon a backwards bear hug and Jon had the biggest smile on his face, holding up the United States championship proudly. Joe and Colby hoisted him up to perch on their shoulders, the entire crowd cheering because Jon already had a fan base from the Indies and some of it had carried over to the WWE.

Once they arrived back at the dressing room, Tayce immediately jumped into Jon's arms and passionately kissed him, resting her forehead against his while holding his face in her hands. "I knew you'd win. I didn't have a doubt in my mind." She murmured, hugging him tightly and knew Jon was nearly on top of the world at that moment. 

The only way he could be fully to the top was when he'd eventually win the WWE championship. That would come in time though. Joe and Colby headed out after Sophie gave Joe a good luck kiss while Celeste did the same with Colby. Everyone sat down and watched the match, though Jon disappeared halfway through it because he was going to help his brothers win the tag team titles. Team Hell No –Glen Jacobs and Bryan Danielson- didn't stand a chance against the Shield and they were soon crowned the new WWE Tag Team champions. It was a night of celebrations indeed and Tayce knew the Shield had finally started making people believe in who they were. They had left their mark on this night by capturing gold for all 3 members of their group.

Everyone parted ways to have their private celebrations. Jon surprised Tayce with a suite just for them that had a Jacuzzi tub and a table full of desserts in all variations. Jon wanted this to be an unforgettable night and make it more memorable. He took her hand while Tayce admired the beautiful room and pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck, setting his United States championship down on his luggage. Turning her to face him, he captured her lips in a soul-searing kiss and left them both breathless, craving more of each other.

"Tayce, there's something I want to talk to you about before we get the celebration underway." Jon had no idea how to start this off and took a deep breath, his stomach tightening as nerves overtook him. "I know we've had our ups and downs. I know we both have a lot to make up for, but somehow we've always been bound together. And now I want to make that permanent. I want to be bound to you for the rest of our lives."

"Jon…" Tayce gasped, watching through tear-filled eyes as he lowered to one knee in front of her, not releasing her hand and pulled something out of the side pocket on his cargo pants. "Oh my god…"

"Tayce Stevens, you told me once that you wanted to be tied to me in every way for the rest of your life. You proposed to me and I accepted, but that was the wrong way to do it. This time, I'm doing it right."

He popped the square shaped black velvet box open and watched as tears slid down her cheeks, blue eyes full of nothing but unconditional love. The ring was completely different from the first one Tayce had picked out for herself. Jon had gone out and purchased a ring he thought suited her and it touched Tayce in so many ways. It was a pure black diamond that was princess cut with two smaller citrine stones on each side of it with the same cut as the black diamond. The diamond and citrine were set on a white gold band that was outlined in tiny white diamonds.

"I'm asking you this time, will you marry me?"

It took her a minute to answer because of how hard she cried, not believing this was happening and Jon didn't move a muscle from his knelt position in front of her. "One condition." Tayce finally found her voice, swallowing hard and hoped this was what Jon wanted as well.

"Anything, name it."

"I want a real wedding. I want a white or ivory gown, flowers, cake, reception and I want my Mom to walk me down the aisle. I want the whole nine yards if we're doing this again." Tayce stated, coming clean and being honest with what she wanted like she should've from the beginning.

Jon grinned and stood up, taking the ring out of the box to slide on her left ring finger, his mouth capturing hers in a soft kiss. "Whatever you want, boss lady." He lifted her up and spun her around in circles like he had at the arena, both of them holding onto each other or dear life.

That night, they vowed to stay bound to each other for the rest of their lives and it was all they ever wanted until death.

The End.


End file.
